| Program Overview | I am interested in identifying elements of the urban ecosystem that contribute to insect problems on ornamental plants and trees. Currently, with the help of the students in my laboratory and other collaborators we concentrate on factors that can either influence natural enemy communities, or alter the physiology of plants in ways that affect insects. Ultimately, the goal is to develop tools that can be useful for managing insect pests. |
| Landscape Ecology | We use the perspective of landscape ecology to study how the structure and composition of a landscape influences populations of pests. On the smallest scale, a simple patch of plants, we explore how flowers can be used to conserve beneficial insects and reduce pest problems. On a larger scale we study how the urban matrix that surrounds trees influences the movement of pests and their natural enemies. Regionally we work with exotic invasive species like gypsy moth and pine shoot beetle to determine factors that work at a larger scale. |
| Chemical Ecology | We use the tools of chemical ecology to understand why pests thrive on some plants but not others. Work in this area has focused on ornamental varieties of plants with multicolored leaves that change the rate and shape of plant growth. To date we have found that slower growing variegated plants have fewer resources that they can direct toward the production of plant defenses. As such they tend to be more susceptible to insects pests. |
| Consumer Attitudes | It is absolutely impossible to keep plants absolutely free of pest insects. It is far easier to keep a pest population below the level at which it harms either plant health or plant appearance. As such we have been conducting research on consumer responses to pest injury. To date we have found that it takes far more pests to harm plant appearance than it does plant health. We have also examined how economic factors and elements of plant design alter consumer tolerance to pest injury. |
| Biorational Pesticide Use | Although it would be wonderful never to have to use pesticides, there are situations where some action needs to be taken to reduce pest populations. The objective of this research is to identify pesticides that are less toxic to beneficial insects that act to reduce pest populations. In addition we explore how pesticide use can be timed to minimize its impact on beneficials. |
Vitullo, J.M. Sadof, C.S. 2007. Effects of Pesticide Applications and Cultural Controls on Efficacy of Control for Adult Japanese Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) on Roses .Journal of Economic Entomology. 100: 95-102. |
Vitullo, J.M. Sadof, C.S. 2007. Efficacy of Soil and Foliar-applied Azadirachtin in Combination with and in Comparison to Soil-applied Imidacloprid and Foliar-applied Carbaryl Against Japanese Beetles on Roses. HortTechnology. 17:. 316-321 |
| Hamilton, R.M. , R. E. Foster, T. J. Gibb, C. S. Sadof, J. D. Holland, B. A. Engel 2007. The Distribution and Dynamics of Japanese Beetles along the Indianapolis Airport Perimeter and the Influence of Land Use on Trap Catch. Environmental Entomology 36: 287-296. |
| Rebek, E. J., C. S. Sadof, and L. M. Hanks 2006. Influence of Floral Resource Plants on Regulation of an Armored Scale Pest by the Parasitoid Encarsia citrina (Craw.) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) Biological Control 37: 320-328. |
Rebek, E. J., C. S. Sadof, and L. M. Hanks 2005. Manipulating the abundance of natural enemies with floral resource plants. Biological Control 33:203-216. |
Sadof, C. S. and R. N. Snyder, 2005. Seasonal phenology of parasitoids of mimosa webworm on honeylocust. Environmental Entomology 34: 70-75. |
| C. S. Sadof, R. J. O’Neil, Heraux, F., and R. N. Wiedenmann 2004. Reducing Insecticide Use in Home Gardens: Effects of Training and Volunteer Research on Adoption of Biological Control. Hort Tech. 14:149-154. |
| Wiedenmann R.N, C. S. Sadof, and R. J. O’Neil 2004. Ground Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Assemblages in Mulched and Non-Mulched Garden Plots. J. Kansas Ent. Soc. 77:99-109. |
| Cloyd, R. A., and C. S. Sadof 2003, Seasonal abundance and the use of an action threshold for western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), in a cut carnation, Dianthus caryophyllus L. greenhouse. HortTechnology 13:497-500. |
| Sadof, C. S., J. Neal, and R. A. Cloyd. 2003. Effect of variegation on phloem composition of Solenostemon scutellarioides (L.) and life history characteristics of Planococcus citri (Risso).J. Environ. Entomol. 32: 463-469. |
| Rebek, E. J. and C. S. Sadof 2003. Effects of Pesticide Applications on the Euonymus Scale (Homoptera: Diaspididae) and Its Parasitoid, Encarsia citrina (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). J. Econ. Entomol. 96:446-452. |
| Sadof, C. S. and C. S. Sclar 2002. Developing an aesthetic threshold for a public display garden. J. Econ. Entomol. 95:348-353. |
| Raupp, M. J. J. J. Holmes, C. Sadof, P. Shrewsbury, and J. A. Davidson 2001. Effects of cover sprays and residual pesticides on scale insects and natural enemies in urban forests. Journ. Arboriculture 27: 203-213. |
| Sperry, C. E., W. R Chaney, G. Shao, and C. S. Sadof 2001. Effects of tree density, tree diversity, and percentage of hardscape on three insect pests of honeylocust. Journ. Arboriculture 27:263-271. |
| Cloyd, R.A. and C. S. Sadof. 2000. Effects of a biorational insecticide on western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), and comparison of natural enemy abundance inside and outside a greenhouse. HortTechnology 10: 359-362. |
| Sadof, C. S. and D. C. Sclar. 2000. Effects of horticultural oil and foliar or soil applied systemic insecticides on euonymus scale in Pachysandra. J. Arboric. 26: 120-125. |
| Cloyd, R. A. and C. S. Sadof. 2000. Effects of plant architecture on the attack rate of Leptomastix dactylopii (Howard) (Hymenoptera: Pseudococcidae), a parasitoid of citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Risso) (Homoptera: Pseuodococcidae) Environ. Entomol. 29: 535-541. |
| Poland, T. M, R. A. Haack, T. R. Petrice, C. S. Sadof, and D.W. Onstad. 2000. Dispersal of pine shoot beetle, Tomicus piniperda, from operational and simulated millyards. Canadian Entomol. 132:853-866. |
| McCullough, D. G, and C. S. Sadof 1998. Evaluation of an integrated management and compliance program for Tomicus piniperda (Coleoptera: Scolytidae in Pine Christmas Tree Fields. J. Econ. Entomol. 91:785-795. |
| Cloyd, R., and C. S. Sadof 1998. Flower quality, flower number, and western flower thrips density on Transvaal daisy treated with granular insecticides. HortTechnology 8:567-570. |
| Yang, J. and C. S. Sadof. 1997. Variation in the life history of the citrus mealybug parasitoid, Leptomastix dactylopii (Hymentoptera: Encyrtidae) on three varies of Coleus blumei. Environ. Entomol 26:978-982. |
| Sadof, C. S. and G. G. Grant 1997. Monoterpene composition of Pinus sylvestris varieties resistanct and susceptible to Dioryctria zimmermani Grote (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) J. Chemical Ecology. 23:1917-1927. |
| Sadof, C. S. 1996. Resistance of Scotch pine varieties to Zimmerman pine moth (Lepidoptera: Pyralidaye) and its impact on sales in a choose and cut Christmas tree plantation. Great Lakes Entomologist. 29:183-190 |
