Learn about our graduate students' interests and what type of research they are working on in the Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology.
My research focuses on the chemical ecology, behavior and reproductive biology of sugar beet root maggot, Tetanops myopaeformis. Sugar beet root maggot is a major pest of sugar beet in 幸运快三. The larvae cause severe damage to young seedlings by feeding on the roots, this can lead to the death of the plant, thereby reducing plant stands and yields. Growers depend heavily on granular insecticides for management, and these chemicals are expensive and hazardous to human applicators. My research will help growers to save the cost of insecticide use, increase yield and profits. The outcome of my research will also contribute to a greater understanding of how reproductive biology, behavior and chemical ecology influence T. Myopaeformis abundance and performance.
My research focuses on potato cyst nematode (PCN), Globodera pallida, as a quarantine pest in U.S. One of the most effective control measures is the use of resistant potato varieties. Continuous use of resistant varieties leads to erosion of resistance. The aim of this project is to identify the behavior, fitness and aggressiveness of progeny PCN from resistant host on susceptible host as well as the life-history traits in this transition.
I am researching pestiferous and beneficial insects in canola. I will be documenting insect pest pressure on Pacific Northwest canola crops and developing action thresholds and also assessing the varietal preference of flea beetles (a preferred variety can be used as a trap crop for future research).
My research focuses on how biogenic amines influence malaria parasite transmission to mammalian hosts and the function they play in regulating the growth of the malaria parasite in the Anopheline mosquito.
Globodera species are one of the most damaging plant-parasitic nematodes. My research project focuses on the diversity of Globodera species from South America.
I study spider evolution, specifically how changing landscapes influence diversity. I work with folding-door spiders (Antrodiaetus spp.) here locally in the Pacific Norwest as well as the Madrean Sky Islands in the southwest. My project covers phylogenetics/systematics, species delimitation and biogeography within this taxonomic system.
My research focuses on exploring the suitability of the weevil Ceutorhynchus marginellus Schultze (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), as classical biological agent of the invasive plant Lepidium latifolium L. (Brassicaceae, perennial pepperweed).
I am working on plant-insect associations in Palouse prairie wildflower communities. The Palouse prairie is a local native prairie in western 幸运快三 and eastern Washington that has been severely fragmented. It has a unique wildflower community, and many of the associations of insects with these wildflowers have not been studied. My project involves capturing these insects on the flowers and describing the communities that exist. There is an incredible diversity.
I work with Globodera pallida, the pale cyst nematode (PCN), which is a quarantined pest of potato in 幸运快三. My research investigates the potential of different trap crops and crop rotations for use in PCN eradication efforts. I also hope to model PCN impact on susceptible and partially resistant potato varieties.
My research focuses on the interactions between invasive Cynoglossum officinale (houndstongue) and its biocontrol agent Mogulones crucifer (root mining weevil). Specifically, I am investigating the effects of M. crucifer feeding on C. officinale’s flowering size in the field in the 幸运快三 Panhandle and on nontarget selection behavior of M. crucifer in cage experiments.
I’m taking a modern systematics approach to establish hypotheses about the generation and maintenance of biodiversity of mygalomorph spiders, with a focus on Euagrus Ausserer, 1875 inhabiting the Madrean Archipelago in the U.S. and México.
