Research progress on juvenile hormone regulation of insect behavior

Juvenile hormone (JH), a vital sesquiterpenoid hormone in insects, regulates growth, reproduction, social behavior, and environmental adaptation through dual signaling pathways involving intracellular receptor (Met/Gce) and membrane receptor. In female insects, JH promotes ovulation by inducing extracellular matrix gene expression, enhances mating attractiveness through sex pheromone regulation, and inhibits re-mating post-copulation by elevating JH levels via sex peptides. It also interacts with insulin signaling to balance reproduction, energy metabolism, and lifespan. In male insects, JH facilitates sexual maturation by regulating courtship neural circuits, such as Fru^M neurons in fruit flies. In social insects, JH governs caste differentiation and reproductive division of labor, ensuring colony stability. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism of JH membrane signaling, tissue specificity and spatiotemporal coordination with intracellular receptors remain unknown, and their roles as rapid switches in female pheromone bursts and male courtship circuits have not been resolved. Future integration of single-cell multi-omics, in-vivo calcium imaging and AI-behavior coupling model is required to decipher how intracellular and membrane JH pathways jointly encode behavioural decisions, thereby providing precision targets for precise behavioral interventions. This review focuses on recent advances in understanding the role and molecular mechanisms of the JH signaling pathways in insect behavior regulation. Elucidating how JH coordinates insect behavior offers insights into insect ecological adaptation and supports pest control and beneficial insect utilization strategies.