A5026629436- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Plant and animal studies
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Insect Resistance and Genetics
- Entomopathogenic Microorganisms in Pest Control
- Insect Pest Control Strategies
- Plant Virus Research Studies
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Nematode management and characterization studies
- Hemiptera Insect Studies
- Plant and soil sciences
- Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Turfgrass Adaptation and Management
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Soil Science and Environmental Management
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis
- Insect behavior and control techniques
- Evaluation and Performance Assessment
- Seedling growth and survival studies
- Agricultural and Food Production Studies
- Diptera species taxonomy and behavior
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
Utah State University
2015-2024
New Mexico State University
2005-2024
Washington State University
2005-2020
Universidad Europea del Atlántico
2020
National Pedagogic University
1998-1999
Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario
1994
Overwintering success is an important determinant of arthropod populations that must be considered as climate change continues to influence the spatiotemporal population dynamics agricultural pests. Using a long-term monitoring database and biologically relevant overwintering zones, we modeled annual seasonal common pest, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), based on three suitability zones throughout North America using four decades soil temperatures: southern range (able persist through winter),...
While substantial progress has been made in understanding defense responses of cereals to insect herbivores, comparatively little is known about feeding by spider mites. Nevertheless, several mite species, including the generalist Tetranychus urticae and grass specialist Oligonychus pratensis, cause damage on such as maize wheat, especially during drought stress. To understand mites, we characterized transcriptomic barley herbivory both included a wounding control against which modulation...
Resource use generally increases with greater consumer diversity, an effect often attributed to resource partitioning. Pathogens and predators are two classes of that exhibit differences in ecologically important traits (e.g., size, acquisition strategy, foraging location) could lead complementary effects on shared prey/hosts. To examine this possibility, we manipulated diversity among a community pathogens together attack herbivorous beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata , measured resulting...
Aerial traps, using combinations of color and attractive lures, are a critical tool for detecting managing insect pest populations. Yet, despite improvements in trap efficacy, collection nontarget species ("bycatch") plagues many surveys. Bycatch can influence survey effectiveness by reducing the available space target increasing screening time, especially areas where thousands insects captured as bycatch given season. Additionally, may negatively impact local populations, including...
Each year, federal and state agencies, including universities, conduct field surveys for invasive species in an attempt to detect new introductions early the invasion process. National insects are administered coordinated by United States Department of Agriculture's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service-Plant Protection Quarantine (USDA-APHIS-PPQ) Forest Service through Farm Bill § 10007 (www.aphis.usda.gov), Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) (caps.ceris.purdue.edu), Early...
Abstract Herbivore‐induced plant resistance and apparent competition are two indirect ways herbivores interact. If a less damaging herbivore indirectly suppresses the abundance of more via these mechanisms, then plants may ultimately benefit. Changes in density, however, can dictate intensity species interactions play critical role determining outcome plant‐ predator‐mediated interactions. We tested effects density on strength among phloem‐feeding aphids herbivorous caterpillars for their...
Billbugs (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Sphenophorus spp.) are a complex of weevil pests affecting turfgrass throughout the United States. Billbug larvae cause damage by feeding in stems, on roots, and crowns turf, causing severe discoloration eventual plant death. Monitoring efforts have focused nondestructive pitfall sampling ground-active billbug adults destructive using soil cores for larval stages soil. Given cryptic nature susceptible stages, billbugs typically managed preventive...
Spider mites, a cosmopolitan pest of agricultural and landscape plants, thrive under hot dry conditions, which could become more frequent extreme due to climate change. Recent work has shown that neonicotinoids, widely used class systemic insecticides have come scrutiny for non-target effects, can elevate spider mite populations. Both water-stress neonicotinoids independently alter plant resistance against herbivores. Yet, the interaction between these two factors on mites is unclear,...
Maize ( Zea mays subsp. ) yield loss from arthropod herbivory is substantial. While the basis of resistance to major insect herbivores has been comparatively well-studied in maize, less known about spider mite herbivores, which are distantly related insects and feed by a different mechanism. Two mites, generalist Tetranychus urticae , grass-specialist Oligonychus pratensis notable pests especially during drought conditions. We assessed (antibiosis) both mites 38 highly diverse maize lines,...
Abstract Bumble bees are integral pollinators of native and cultivated plant communities, but species undergoing significant changes in range abundance on a global scale. Climate change land cover alteration key drivers pollinator declines; however, limited research has evaluated the cumulative effects these factors bumble bee assemblages. This study tests assemblage (calculated as richness abundance) responses to climate use by modeling species‐specific habitat requirements,...
Plants are attacked by diverse herbivorous pests with different host specializations. While plant resistance influences pest pressure, how impacts the behaviors of generalist and specialist herbivores, relationship to resistance, is less well known. Here, we investigated short-term (< 1 h) behavioral changes a herbivore, two-spotted spider mite (TSM), Banks grass (BGM), after introduction no-choice Tanglefoot leaf-arenas (2 × 2 cm) three maize inbred lines (B73, B75, B96). The widely-used...
Knowledge about the distribution and abundance of western black-legged tick, Ixodes pacificus Cooley Kohls, in Utah is limited. Recent concerns over tick-borne diseases Utah, primarily Lyme disease, have reinvigorated need to understand habitats favored by this tick species. We surveyed 157 sites throughout examine distribution, abundance, habitat I. pacificus. In total, 343 adult ticks were collected from 2011 2013. Specifically, 119 pacificus, 217 Dermacentor andersoni Stiles, six D....
Plants are exploited by a diverse community of insect herbivores and phytopathogens that interact indirectly through plant-mediated interactions. Generally, plants thought to respond insects pathogens different defensive signaling pathways. As selected for resistance one phytophagous organism type (insect vs. pathogen) in managed systems, it is not clear how this selection may affect This study examined the effect nematode-resistant varieties on aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) suppression, then...
Abstract Megachile rotundata F. is the primary commercial pollinator for alfalfa seed production in North America. Managed M. populations are susceptible to several mortality factors including attack by parasitoids. One such parasitoid, Melittobia acasta Walker, a multivoltine wasp whose infestations can decimate bee stocks. Details of life history using as host needed develop control strategies. Our objectives were (i) describe cycle prepupae hosts and (ii) determine developmental base...
Abstract The host‐generalist two‐spotted spider mite [ Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae); TSM] and host‐specialist Banks grass Oligonychus pratensis BGM] are common pests of corn ( Zea mays L.) in the arid western United States. Climate warming decreased precipitation may promote conditions favoured by these mites. However, rapid evolution resistance to commercially available acaricides is driving need for alternative solutions managing outbreaks. Planting drought‐tolerant hybrids...
Spider mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) outbreaks are common on corn grown in the arid West. Hot and dry conditions reduce development time, increase fecundity, accelerate egg hatch. Climate change is predicted to drought incidents produce more intense temperature patterns. Together, these environmental shifts may cause frequent severe spider infestations. management difficult as many commercially available acaricides ineffective due of resistance traits field populations. Therefore, alternative...
Abstract Wild and managed bee populations are in decline, one of many environmental causes is the impact pesticides on developing bees. For solitary bees, delayed larval development could lead to asynchronous adult emergence, unhealthy inefficient pollinators, decreased brood production survival. We examined a methodology for testing Osmia lignaria Say (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) responses pesticide exposure using laboratory bioassay. created two provision types: homogenized blend O....
Billbugs are native pests of turfgrass throughout North America, primarily managed with preventive, calendar-based insecticide applications. An existing degree-day model (lower development threshold 10°C, biofix 1 March) developed in the eastern United States for bluegrass billbug, Sphenophorus parvulus (Gyllenhal; Coleoptera: Curculionidae), may not accurately predict adult billbug activity western States, where billbugs occur as a species complex. The objectives this study were 1) to track...