Insect agriculture is facing an incredible increase in demand and, along with it, an increase in the risk and burden of disease. As with other agricultural products, insects are susceptible to pathogenic microbes (e.g., viruses, bacteria, and fungi) that reduce yield and/or result in catastrophic die-offs. Here, I will present results from several recent studies characterizing infections of a highly entomopathogenic iridovirus infecting reared crickets worldwide. By implementing microbiome, transcriptome, and virome analyses, we have begun to understand the factors that may impact disease status in mass-reared crickets. Moreover, our studies help lay the research foundation needed for a new subdiscipline of insect pathology in reared insects, which will be essential to the health of this emerging commodity.
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