It is with great pleasure that I have accepted the invitation to act as Chief Editor of Applied Entomology and Zoology for the period 2013–2014. Applied Entomology and Zoology is the official English-language journal of the Japanese Society of Applied Entomology and Zoology. My most important duty as Chief Editor is to ensure the scientific quality of Applied Entomology and Zoology. Given the width of the journal’s scope, it goes without saying that I can do this only with the help of the four associate editors, Drs. Takashi Matsuo, Atsushi Mochizuki, Jun Tabata, and Haruki Tatsuta, and the Editorial Board. Coverage of Applied Entomology and Zoology spans a wide diversity of fields, including ecology, environmental science, ethology, molecular biology, physiology, taxonomy and toxicology concerned with both pest and beneficial insects and other animals. I feel responsible for the continuation of Applied Entomology and Zoology as a leader in these scientific fields, not only in Japan but across all of Asia.

The Japanese Society of Applied Entomology and Zoology decided to publish Applied Entomology and Zoology with Springer beginning in 2011 to reach a wider audience as an international journal. Publication with Springer has made access from other countries easier: compared with 2009, the number of submissions in 2011 has increased by 28 %, and the rejection rate has gone up from 64 % in 2009 to 74 % in 2011. The journal’s impact factor has increased to 1.14 in 2011. To keep up with the increased submission rate, I have decided to increase the number of associate editors to four (three in 2012) and the number of foreign editorial board members to 16 (13 in 2012). With these changes, I am convinced that the time from submission to first decision will be shortened and that the quality of published papers will be ensured as before.

Tetsuo Gotoh

Chief Editor

Applied Entomology and Zoology