Professional Biographical Information:

Ph.D.  Entomology.  2000.  The University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst MA 01003.  Dissertation: Olfactory and Visual Stimuli Guiding Adult Plum Curculios, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), to Host Plants.

M.S.  Ecology.  1995.  The Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA 16802.  Thesis: Influence of flowering of Acer saccharum Marsh. on reproduction of Taeniothrips inconsequens (Uzel) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). 

B.S.  Biology.  1990.  Wilson College, Chambersburg, PA. 17201.  Thesis Project: Locating concretions in Malphigian tubules in an unidentified species of cranefly (Diptera: Tipulidae) using light and transmission electron microscopy.

Current CV

Laboratory Personnel

Starker E. Wright

Torri J. Hancock

Description of Research Projects:

The goal of our laboratory is to develop effective and economical methods for successful monitoring and/or management of key insect pests of tree fruit that will ultimately result in a reduction of or a replacement for conventional insecticides in orchard ecosystems.  Our studies focus mainly on behavioral and chemical ecology of these pests.  Currently we are involved in three major projects. 

Plum Curculio

Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), the plum curculio, is a key pest of apple in the eastern United States and Canada and a destructive pest of plum and peach in the southern United States.  There is no effective method to monitor movement of plum curculio from overwintering sites to border rows of orchards where plum curculios enter and begin to damage fruit each spring.  Some of our current studies are listed below:

• Identification of competitive host fruit tree volatile for use as lures associated with traps.  
• Relationship between physiological state of the insect and response to olfactory stimuli.
• Development of laboratory assay methods.
• Biology of the so-called “southern strain” plum curculio, including identification of second-generation oviposition injury on tree fruit.
• Potential for multiple component male-produced aggregation pheromone.
• Using harmonic radar to track plum curculio movement.
• Using a ‘trap tree’ approach to control plum curculio in apple orchards in New England

Collaborators

            Dr. Aijun Zhang, USDA-ARS BARC Beltsville MD

            Dr. Gerald Chouinard, IRDA, Quebec, Canada

            Dr. Charles Vincent, Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, Quebec Canada

            Dr. Jaime Piñero, Institute of Plant Sciences, ETH, Switzerland

Dogwood Borer

Synanthedon scitula Harris, the dogwood borer, is an indirect pest of apple with an increasingly important economic impact due to widespread planting of apple trees on size-controlling rootstocks.  These plantings promote the formation of adventitious root initials (burr knots) near the graft union.  Adult females oviposit on these burr knots and subsequent larval feeding larval feeding over consecutive seasons can lead to consumption of burr knot tissue and feeding in the cambial layer, ultimately resulting in tree death from girdling.  This is a collaborative project between my laboratory, Dr. Christopher Bergh, Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Dr. Aijun Zhang, USDA-ARS, BARC, and Dr. Jim Walgenbach, North Carolina State University.  Some of our current studies are listed below:

• Refinement of the pheromone-based monitoring system for dogwood borer
• Potential for bivoltinism in the mid-Atlantic region
• Factors promoting infestation by dogwood borer in newly planted apple orchards
• Horticultural impact of persistent dogwood borer infestations
• Mass trapping as a potential control strategy
• Mating disruption of a potential control strategy

Collaborators

            Dr. Chris Bergh, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

            Dr. Aijun Zhang, USDA-ARS BARC, Beltsville MD

            Dr. Jim Walgenbach, North Carolina State University

Stink Bugs

This project involves three species prevalent in both apple and peach orchards in the mid-Atlantic, brown, Euschistus servus (Say), dusky, E. tristigmus, and green, Acrosternum hilare.  Some of our current studies are listed below:

• Evaluation and improvement of monitoring traps
• Response of stink bugs to visual stimuli associated with monitoring traps
• Responses of Euschistus species to commercially available pheromone lures and host plant volatiles
• Using a baited trap crop to prevent stink bug entry into fruit orchards
• Identifying characters of stink bug injury on apple
• Exploring a ‘trap tree’ approach for monitoring stink bug

Collaborator

            Dr. Henry Hogmire, West Virginia University

            Dr. Mark Brown, USDA-ARS, AFRS