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The Entomological Society of America (ESA) is an individual-membership scientific society for entomologists, founded in 1889, that publishes eight journals and the magazine American Entomologist and holds an annual meeting. For a researcher the practical questions are which ESA journal fits a manuscript, what membership costs and which category applies, and where the society’s own publishing policies sit. This page answers those from the society’s official pages, as described on entsoc.org on 2026-11-07. It is written for authors and early-career researchers, not as an endorsement of any journal.
What the Entomological Society of America is and who runs it
ESA describes itself as an individual membership society governed by a board comprised of members. Its About page gives the founding year as 1889 and states that it has nearly 7,000 members (as described on entsoc.org/about, 2026-11-07). The society’s work spans publishing, an annual meeting (Entomology 2026 is the meeting named on the site) and a set of member communities. For the scientific background of the field itself, see the CASRAI guide What is entomology?
Eligibility: who can join and in which category
The membership page states that ESA is an individual membership society, and that membership travels with the person between jobs rather than belonging to an employer. The Regular category is described as open to anyone with an interest in or training in insects, so there is no credential barrier for the standard category. The society’s category page lists the following for 2027, as read on 2026-11-07 (entsoc.org/membership/join/categories). Dues are set by the society and change, so treat the amounts as a dated snapshot.
| Category | Dues listed (2027) | Qualifier stated on the page |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | $180 | Anyone with an interest or training in insects |
| Student | $70 | Student category |
| Early Career Professional | $115 | Up to 5 years |
| President’s Circle | $360 | Listed category |
| Emeritus | $90 | Listed category |
| Emeritus Gold | $50 | Listed category |
| Developing Country | $60 | Listed category |
| Honorary | $0 | Listed category |
Membership runs on the calendar year, 1 January to 31 December. Some headings on the category page show different amounts from the 2027 list (for example Regular at $175), which is a reminder to confirm the amount for your own join year at checkout.
What membership gives and what ESA publishes
The membership page lists these benefits: networking, member-only awards, professional development webinars, CV posting on the ESA careers site, a membership directory and a Member Support Fund. The publications page adds one that matters to authors: members receive reduced page charges, and ESA’s publishing partnership with Oxford University Press (journals are hosted at academic.oup.com) gives the titles a worldwide audience (entsoc.org/publications, 2026-11-07).
The journals and the magazine
The society’s journals page lists the following titles:
- American Entomologist (the society magazine, published quarterly)
- Annals of the Entomological Society of America
- Arthropod Management Tests (labelled open access on the page)
- Environmental Entomology
- Insect Systematics and Diversity
- Journal of Economic Entomology
- Journal of Insect Science (labelled open access on the page)
- Journal of Integrated Pest Management (labelled open access on the page)
- Journal of Medical Entomology
That is eight journals plus the magazine. The page also links to a Submit a Manuscript page, a Publishing Policies page and a Copyright page, and gives the publications office as [email protected]. Read the journal’s own instructions and the Publishing Policies page before you submit. If you are unsure how reviewers are anonymised or credited, the CASRAI entries on peer review and open peer review explain the terminology.
Sections and branches: where members organise
ESA has five sections: Formal & Informal Teaching; Medical, Urban, & Veterinary Entomology; Physiology, Biochemistry, & Toxicology; Plant-Insect Ecosystems; and Systematics, Evolution, & Biodiversity. It also has six branches: Eastern, International, North Central, Pacific, Southeastern and Southwestern (membership page, 2026-11-07).
Which section lines up with which journal (editorial interpretation)
The society does not publish a section-to-journal map, so the following is CASRAI’s reading of the titles and section names, not an ESA statement. Use it to build a shortlist and then check each journal’s scope statement.
| If your work is about | Section with a matching name | Titles whose names suggest a match |
|---|---|---|
| Taxonomy, phylogeny, biodiversity | Systematics, Evolution, & Biodiversity | Insect Systematics and Diversity; Annals of the Entomological Society of America |
| Disease vectors, urban or veterinary pests | Medical, Urban, & Veterinary Entomology | Journal of Medical Entomology |
| Pest control in crops and managed systems | Plant-Insect Ecosystems | Journal of Economic Entomology; Journal of Integrated Pest Management; Arthropod Management Tests |
| Ecology and environmental interactions | Plant-Insect Ecosystems | Environmental Entomology |
| Broad insect science | Any | Journal of Insect Science |
Researchers working on parasite and vector biology can also read the neighbouring CASRAI guide What is parasitology?
Steps for authors and new members
- Decide whether you want membership at all: the reduced page charges for members are stated on the publications page, so compare that benefit against the dues for your category.
- Pick the category from the table above and join through the society’s membership pages.
- Choose a journal by its scope statement on its own page, using the table above only as a starting list.
- Read the Publishing Policies and Copyright pages linked from the journals page before preparing the manuscript.
- If open access matters for your funder, check how the journal is labelled on the journals page and whether it appears in a directory such as the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
- Submit through the Submit a Manuscript page.
Typical timeline phases
Membership is calendar-year, so joining and renewal follow a yearly cycle. A manuscript moves through the usual phases of submission, editorial screening, peer review, revision and decision; ESA’s pages read for this guide do not give review durations, so plan around the journal’s own stated process. Meeting registration is handled on each year’s meeting page, for example Entomology 2026.
Common mistakes
- Treating the Regular dues amount as permanent: the category page shows different amounts in different places, so confirm the figure for the year you join.
- Assuming every ESA title is open access: only some titles carry an open access label on the journals page.
- Assuming membership is required to publish: the pages read for this guide state a page-charge discount for members, not a membership requirement.
- Choosing a journal from a section name alone instead of its scope statement.
- Counting nine journals: the society describes eight journals plus the magazine American Entomologist.
Related programs
| Item | What it is | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ESA sections | Five topic communities within ESA | entsoc.org/membership |
| ESA branches | Six regional groupings, including an International branch | entsoc.org/membership |
| Member Support Fund | Member benefit listed on the membership page | entsoc.org/membership |
| Annual meeting | Entomology 2026 is the meeting named on the About page | entsoc.org/about |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Entomological Society of America?
It is an individual membership society for entomologists, founded in 1889 and governed by a board comprised of members, with nearly 7,000 members as stated on its About page on 2026-11-07.
How much is Entomological Society of America membership?
The 2027 category page, read on 2026-11-07, lists Regular at $180, Student at $70, Early Career Professional at $115 (up to 5 years), President’s Circle at $360, Emeritus at $90, Emeritus Gold at $50, Developing Country at $60 and Honorary at $0. Confirm the amount for your join year.
Which journals does the Entomological Society of America publish?
Eight journals plus the magazine American Entomologist, listed in full above.
What is Entomology 2026?
It is the society’s annual meeting as named on its About page.
Sources
- Entomological Society of America, About: entsoc.org/about, read 2026-11-07.
- Entomological Society of America, Membership: entsoc.org/membership, read 2026-11-07.
- Entomological Society of America, Membership categories: entsoc.org/membership/join/categories, read 2026-11-07.
- Entomological Society of America, Publications and Journals: entsoc.org/publications and entsoc.org/publications/journals, read 2026-11-07.
