Publisher Profile
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Dr. Carlos A. Blanco
Editor, Southwestern Entomologist
Adjunct Professor, The University of New Mexico
Society of Southwestern Entomologists
Southwestern Entomologist
BioOne publishing partner since: 2009
Tell us about yourself.
Like many other entomologists, I grew up with glass jars full of captured arthropods, bee stings, and ant bites. The defining moment of my professional career came when, in graduate school, my 80-year-old mother asked me, “Why do you really want to study that?” I’m not sure if my arguments were convincing enough, but I was researching ways for people to maintain beautiful lawns using less insecticide. For nearly four decades, my personal interest has been the use of pesticides. I worked for a few years for the US Extension Service, evaluating the most effective uses for urban problems. This experience led to a decade-long position at a chemical company, where I developed novel insecticide classes and agricultural biotechnology. This experience helped me become a researcher and regulator with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where I worked for 25 years. Throughout my long professional career, I have witnessed the remarkable transformations brought by the Green Revolution, the adoption of integrated pest management for numerous crops, and the development of transgenic crops. These advancements have positively impacted consumers by producing more and better food, and the environment by reducing the use and toxicity of insecticides.
Tell us about your society.
Fifty years ago, Mexican and American entomologists began discussing binational arthropod problems during meetings of the Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society of America. These crucial conversations, which included pressing issues throughout the geographical region shared by both countries, required a dedicated journal. Thus, Southwestern Entomologist (SWE) was established as the primary publication of the Society of Southwestern Entomologists (SSWE). The journal primarily publishes manuscripts in English with sufficient information translated into Spanish so that entomologists in both countries can understand this valuable information. Spanish-language articles also contain sufficient information translated into English for the same purpose. The SWE has a fast publication time due to strong social capital among SSWE members. Rather than relying on automation, we use personal, direct communication. This allows us to adapt to the constantly changing needs of authors. SWE members gather only once a year to discuss the journal’s progress, which is managed by four editors, five editorial members, and four society officers.
Tell us about your journal.
Southwestern Entomologist publishes research important to the southwestern United States and Mexico region. Nowadays the journal has been attracting readers and contributors from South America, Europe, and Asia. The United States shares a 3,000-kilometer border with Mexico that is crossed 250,000 times daily in both directions by passenger vehicles and commercial trucks. Arthropod pests may hitchhike in them, a high risk for the invasion of exotic pests. Southwestern Entomologist is the primary scientific journal in both countries for regulatory policies and information on potential invasive pests, fostering bilateral collaboration. According to the most recent BioOne report, regulatory agencies in Mexico and the US represent a large portion of the readership, demonstrating the importance of the journal’s publications.
Tell us about your field.
What are the current trending topics and research areas? What are the biggest challenges researchers in your field are grappling with right now?
I am passionate about communicating to the general public the reasons why agrochemicals are used to produce food, so that they know how scientists are working to reduce agriculture’s environmental impact. At the same time, I have tried to raise public awareness of the fact that our high aesthetic standards for fruits and vegetables demand the continuous use of pesticides. It’s an uphill battle because there’s so much misinformation about agricultural production that takes advantage of our tendency to respond to crises more than to good news. For example, which of the following headlines do you think will appear in a newspaper and be remembered by the public? 1) “Residues of insecticide found in paprika powder” or 2) “The use of insecticide on potatoes in the US has declined 250%”? Disinformation in the media, lack of clear language in articles, and limited access to scientific publications, are major obstacles in any scientific field. Simply replace the scientifically accepted term “below acceptable level of pesticide residue” with the valid but distorted “presence of pesticide,” and your report will be on the first page of a major newspaper. Public education, as slow and limited as it can be, must be part of any scientific field.
Tell us about the impact of your society’s work.
The SSWE is small, about 220 committed scientists publish an average of 120 articles per year. Thanks to the partnership with BioOne, submitted articles can be published online before the whole issue is assembled four times per year. That reduces the publication time from the previous >90 days after to submission, to, in some cases, less than 7 days. The majority of the Mexican entomologists obtain government economic incentives if they are scientifically productive. Publishing in a prestigious journal such as Southwestern Entomologist help them to fulfill these requirements. This is very important because the Mexican grants represent 30-70% of the income of many scientists, that is why Mexican entomologists know they can depend on a fast response, high quality input provided by peers and editors, and free of publication cost of SWE. Not meeting a publication quota cancels their grants for a year.
Tell us about your society’s partnership with BioOne.
In my opinion, considering that the public invests in the education and salary of scientists, the instruments and materials necessary for conducting research, and, in many cases, the high costs of publishing the results, the public is entitled to demand accountability for these investments and to have free access to the published results. This is precisely what SWE and BioOne’s Subscribe to Open (S2O) pilot are doing to respond to these societal demands. The SSWE began its partnership with BioOne in 2009. Before that, the society was nearly bankrupt and had to increase publication fees. The Southwestern Entomologist was printed until 2021, and this was the highest cost for the journal. Now, the SSWE is in a solid financial situation and even provides funds for the Entomological Society of America meetings. Thanks to our partnership with BioOne, we have enjoyed a decade of financial stability, and the SSWE always considers its members. For example, five years ago, we charged $40 to publish an article. Now, with an annual membership of $20, an author can publish as many articles as they want in a year, with no page limit.
Tell us about your participation in BioOne’s Subscribe to Open pilot.
Southwestern Entomologist remains a ‘rare journal’ focused on a region spanning eight U.S. states and Mexico, representing ~3% of the world’s area. This specific focus, as well as increasing competition with new and established journals, has limited its reach. A few years ago, we published fewer articles than similar journals, however, that is no longer the case. We have grown 250% in 10 years. According to BioOne, our articles are now being downloaded in Asia and Europe. SWE has never charged open access fees because charging for downloads would be detrimental to our community. While maintaining a scrupulous review process for our publications, we have evolved into an electronic publication, one of the most cost-effective in our field. We hope that participating in S2O will allow more scientists to reference our articles and give the broader public access to our content.
April 21, 2026