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Department of Entomology

ISU Entomology / Current Research in Insects and Entomology

Current Research in Insects and Entomology

Current research being carried out in the Entomology Department and USDA-ARS Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research Unit at Iowa State University:

Researcher Research topic
Lyric Bartholomay Medical entomology
Jeffrey Beetham Insect-vectored protozoan parasites
Bryony Bonning Novel approaches to insect pest control
Joel Coats Pesticide toxicology
Gregory Courtney Systematics and aquatic entomology
Ken Holscher Livestock and public health pests
Russell Jurenka Pheromone biosynthesis and hydrocarbon characterization
Donald Lewis Urban entomology
Matt O'Neal Soybean entomology
Carol Pilcher Pest management and the environment
Marlin E. Rice Applied pest management
Jon Tollefson Corn pest management
John VanDyk Extension information technology/Distance education
Junwei Zhu Insect chemical ecology
Richard Hellmich (USDA) Ecology and genetics of corn insect pests
Leslie C. Lewis (USDA) Pathology of corn insect pests
Thomas W. Sappington (USDA) Ecology and behavior of corn insect pests
Douglas V. Sumerford (USDA) Ecological genetics of corn insect pests


MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY

BARTHOLOMAY

Research involves insects of public health importance, including mosquitoes that transmit arboviruses (including West Nile and LaCrosse encephalitis) and parasites that cause lymphatic filariasis. Projects address pathogen-vector interactions at the organismal and molecular levels to explore factors that control vector competence. Surveillance projects involving mosquito and tick-borne diseases in Iowa will be ongoing.

Project Leader

Lyric Bartholomay - Assistant Professor

Research Associate (P&S)

Brad Tucker. Vector competence of Aedes trivittatus and other flood water mosquitoes for West Nile virus, ecology of West Nile virus in mammals.

Research Assistant (PhD Student)

Grishma Parikh (MCDB). Mosquito-virus molecular interactions.

Research Assistants (MS Students)

Erica Hellmich (Entomology). Mosquito surveillance and molecular determinants of phagocytosis in mosquito cells.

Jon Oliver (Entomology: Jurenka, co-advisor). Ecology of Lyme disease in Iowa, and molecular and physiological determinants of bacteria-tick interactions.

MS Student

Jeff Alfred (Entomology: USDA/NVSL). Developing a key to the myiasis-causing flies in the family Sarcophagidae.

INSECT-VECTORED PROTOZOAN PARASITES

BEETHAM

Research on protozoan parasites focusing on regulation of pathogenesis and the characterization of host-parasite-vector interactions, emphasizing Leishmania chagasi as a model system. Leishmania spp. are sandfly-vectored protozoan parasites that infect mammals and other vertebrates causing a collection of diseases that vary in severity from the self-healing to the potentially fatal. The goals of current research include (1) to determine how Leishmania survive the innate immune response of mammals and specifically to identify genes that confer parasite resistance to serum lysis. Among candidate genes/proteins that may function in parasite resistance to serum lysis is GP46, a predominant Leishmania surface glycoprotein. GP64 is normally upregulated only on serum-sensitive parasites and confers serum resistance when expressed on serum-sensitive parasites. We are conducting mechanistic studies of GP46 function in serum resistance; (2) to determine mechanisms by which Leishmania regulate gene and protein expression during development and acquisition of pathogenesis. Leishmania spp. are unusual among eukaryotes in their almost complete reliance on post-transcriptional processes to regulate type-II gene expression; gene regulation at transcription is extremely rare. Furthermore, RNA processing in Leishmania is quite different from that which occurs in most eukaryotes, and molecules that function in RNA processing events (including those events that affect RNA stability) are therefore likely to be very different from the analogous factors of other eukaryotes. Understanding the mechanism by which Leishmania modulate the mRNA abundance of developmentally regulated genes/proteins, or by which the parasites survive innate host immune responses, may identify candidate molecular targets for new disease treatment modalities.

Project Leader

Jeffrey Beetham - Associate Professor

Research Associates (P&S)

Christian Bartholomay. Characterization by quantitative PCR of transcript levels for genes that are differentially expressed during parasite development.

Dennis Byrne. Isolation and characterization of membrane proteins from infectious and non-infectious stage parasites.

Postdoctoral Researcher

Amanda Ramer.

Research Assistants (PhD Students)

Rebecca Laborde (Genetics). Reverse genetics approach towards the identification and characterization of genetic elements conferring resistance to human-serum lysis.

Samantha Lei (MCDB/Entomology). Developmental biology of parasites as they progress to an infectious stage that resists lysis by human serum.

Nathan Romine (Genetics). Reverse genetics toward characterizing parasite proteins that influence serum-lysis sensitivity, and biocomputational approach toward identifying unique pathways or unique aspects of pathways in the parasite that might serve as targets for prevention or treatment modalities.

Eric Scolaro (Microbiology/Entomology). Mechanism of action of surface protein GP46 in parasite resistance to innate immune responses of mammalian hosts.


NOVEL APPROACHES TO INSECT PEST CONTROL

BONNING

The goal of Bonning's research program is to develop novel approaches for insect pest management. Current projects include use of small RNA viruses for management of aphid pests, optimization of recombinant baculovirus insecticides for lepidopteran pests, and production of insect resistant transgenic plants.

Project Leader

Bryony Bonning - Professor

Assistant Scientist (P&S)

Sijun Liu. Plant resistance to insect pests mediated by a protease.

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Huarong Li. Development of novel aphicidal toxins for use in transgenic plants.

Research Assistants (PhD Students)

Nina Richtman (Entomology). Mechanism for increased black cutworm susceptibility to baculovirus following Bt toxin exposure. Development of novel aphicidal toxins for use in transgenic plants.

Wendy Sparks (Genetics). Functional analysis of positively selected baculovirus envelope proteins and their role in baculovirus interaction with the lepidopteran gut.

Hailin Tang (Toxicology). Physiological basis for insecticidal action of a basement membrane-degrading protease.


PESTICIDE TOXICOLOGY

COATS

The major goals of the Coats laboratory are to educate and train scientists in insect toxicology and environmental toxicology/chemistry of agrichemicals, as well as contribute to the advancement of the science in these areas. (1) The insect toxicology portion of the laboratory is focused primarily on natural products as insecticides and insect repellents, considering modes of action, identification, specificity, metabolism, quantitative structure-activity relationships, and synthesis. (2) The environmental toxicology and chemistry part of the laboratory is focused on the environmental fate and effects of agrichemicals. Current projects include investigations on the environmental fate and effects of conventional pesticides, veterinary antibiotics, Bt protein toxins and vaccines produced by transgenic plants.

Project Leader

Joel Coats - Professor

PhD Student

Keri Henderson (Toxicology Research Fellow: Tom Moorman, USDA, co-advisor). Environmental fate of the veterinary antibiotics tylosin and sulfamethazine, including degradation in soil and water, as well as leaching studies in intact soil columns; methods for assessing bioavailability of the antibiotics in soil and water. Possible impact of the antibiotics on microbial communities in the environment.

Research Assistants (PhD Students)

Dingfei Hu (Toxicology). Environmental fate of monoterpenoid insecticides, including degradation in soil and water, as well as leaching studies in packed soil columns; analytical methodology for detection/quantification of the veterinary antibiotic tylosin, using HPLC, including the cross-reactivity among the factors in ELISA assay.

Gretchen Paluch (Entomology & Toxicology Lab Coordinator: Bartholomay, co-advisor). Identification, characterization, biological activity, and mode of action of botanical insect repellents, especially terpenoids; design of novel insect bioassays and screening techniques.

Fan Tong (Toxicology). The mechanism of action of monoterpenoid insecticides in insects, focused on biochemical neurotoxicological assays; molecular modeling of terpenoids' insecticidal activity.

Research Assistants (MS Students)

Aaron Gross (Toxicology). Isolation, identification, and characterization of natural insecticides and repellents.

Ashley Jessick (Toxicology). Environmental fate of veterinary antibiotics, including persistence, mobility, bioavailability, and biotransformation.

Hirofumi Kosaki (Toxicology: Jeff Wolt, Agronomy, co-advisor). Development of methodology for quantifying residues of biopharming proteins from environmental matrices; studies on the environmental fate and effects of vaccines produced in transgenic corn.

Ian Murphy (Toxicology). Environmental chemistry and toxicology of agrichemicals, including phytoremediation of pesticides.


SYSTEMATICS AND AQUATIC ENTOMOLOGY

COURTNEY

The focus of Courtney's research is the systematics and ecology of aquatic insects. Specific areas of study include phylogeny of dipteran families; morphology, phylogeny, biogeography, and historical ecology of aquatic insects; biodiversity and conservation of aquatic habitats; and use of aquatic insects as indicators of water quality.

Project Leader

Gregory Courtney - Professor of Entomology and Chair of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Program

Research Assistants (PhD Students)

Rebecca Brown (Entomology/Ecology and Evolutionary Biology). Phylogenetic analysis of the Edwardsininae (Diptera: Blephariceridae), including revision of the genus Paulianina Alexander.

Jessica Davis (Entomology/Ecology and Evolutionary Biology). Revision of the genus Phylidorea Bigot (Diptera: Tipuloidea), with investigations into nodes of speciation.

Matthew Petersen (Entomology/Ecology and Evolutionary Biology). Phylogenetic classification of the Tipuloidea with an emphasis on the distribution, diversification, and character evolution of the subfamily Limoniinae (Limoniidae).

Research Assistant (MS Student)

Matthew Wihlm (Entomology). Systematic revision of the Axymyiidae (Diptera).


LIVESTOCK AND PUBLIC HEALTH PESTS

HOLSCHER

Dr. Holscher is responsible for the development of outreach education pertaining to livestock and poultry pest management, public health pest management, stored grain pest management, urban pest management, youth and 4-H entomology, and the Pesticide Applicator Certification Program.

Project Leader

Ken Holscher - Associate Professor

PHEROMONE BIOSYNTHESIS AND HYDROCARBON CHARACTERIZATION

JURENKA

Research is focused on the study of pheromone biosynthesis in moths, including elucidation of pheromone biosynthetic pathways and hormonal regulation. Research projects include identification of receptors that bind the peptide hormone pheromone biosynthesis-activating neuropeptide (PBAN). This work is being conducted with two model insects, Helicoverpa zea and Drosophila melanogaster. Pheromone biosynthesis is currently being investigated in several moths, including the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar. Research is also conducted on hydrocarbon profiles of various insects.

Project Leader

Russell Jurenka - Professor

Research Assistant (MS Student)

Jon Oliver (Entomology: Bartholomay, co-advisor). Ecology of Lyme disease in Iowa, and molecular and physiological determinants of bacteria-tick interactions.

URBAN ENTOMOLOGY

Dr. Lewis is responsible for outreach education on insect pest management in horticultural crops, households and structures. Research includes interdepartmental projects in sustainable agriculture focusing on vegetables and fruits.

Project Leader

Donald Lewis - Professor


SOYBEAN ENTOMOLOGY

O'NEAL

Dr. O'Neal's research is focused on developing ecologically and economically sustainable insect pest management programs for soybean. More specifically, the soybean entomology laboratory is conducting research on (1) determining the optimal management program for soybean aphids (Aphis glycines). This includes the validation of scouting and thresholds for insecticide application and developing best management practices for effective insecticide usage.

(2) Evaluating the role of natural enemies for soybean aphid population control. This includes an investigation of reduced-risk insecticides and their potential to replace broad-spectrum insecticides that are currently the most commonly selected products used against A. glycines. (3) Explore the role of landscape complexity on beneficial insects and the potential for habitat management to improve pest management within annual cropping systems.

(4) Explore the interaction of soybean aphids and soybean cyst nematode and their impact on soybean yield and quality.

Project Leader

Matt O'Neal - Assistant Professor

Postdoctoral Research Associate

M. Felicitas Avendano (Entomology/Plant Pathology: Greg Tylka, Plant Pathology, co-supervisor). Exploration of the interaction between soybean cyst nematode and soybean aphids.

Research Assistants (PhD Students)

Kevin Johnson (Entomology). Potential of several IPM tactics (row spacing, seed treatments and foliar insecticides) against soybean aphids.

Nick Schmidt (Entomology). Natural enemy community structure in soybeans and their impact on soybean aphid populations. Role of habitat management techniques in field crops that may increase the biological control of insect pests.

Research Assistant (MS Student)

Wayne Ohnesorg (Entomology). Impacts of reduced-risk insecticide chemistries on the soybean aphid natural enemy community in soybeans.


PEST MANAGEMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENT

PILCHER

Research and educational efforts include the areas of Integrated Pest Management (Evaluation and IPM Field Crop Pest Management Insects) and Recordkeeping.

Project Leader

Carol Pilcher - Lecturer

Extension Program Specialists (P&S)

Linda Naeve. Research and educational efforts include the areas of Integrated Pest Management (Urban Agriculture, Home Horticulture, and Youth Education), Worker Protection Standard and Endangered Species.

Kristine Schaefer. Research and educational efforts include the areas of Field Crop Pest Management-Weeds, Invasive Species (Weeds), Phytoxicity and Water Quality.

Mark Shour. Research and educational efforts include the areas of School Integrated Pest Management, Child Care Integrated Pest Management, Ornamental and Turfgrass Pest Management, and Urban Forest Pest Management.

Communications Specialist (P&S)

Keven Arrowsmith. Communication efforts include: managing editor of Integrated Crop Management Newsletter and ISU Corn and Soybean Initiative Partnership Matters Newsletter, editor of PAT and IPM materials, including training manuals, and Webmaster for the PME Web site.

Program Assistant (P&S)

Beth Minner. Program efforts include: coordination of the Commercial and Private Pesticide Applicator Training Program, federal and state reporting, and overall program coordination.


APPLIED PEST MANAGEMENT

RICE

Dr. Rice is responsible for the statewide extension entomology programs for field and forage crops. Primary research activities focus on applied pest management solutions for corn, soybean, and alfalfa. Current research projects are examining Bt corn resistance to western bean cutworm, ecology and management of western bean cutworm, and ecology and management of bean leaf beetle and bean pod mottle virus in soybean.

Project Leader

Marlin E. Rice - Professor

Research Associate (P&S)

Royce Bitzer. Management of the western bean cutworm in corn.

Research Assistant (PhD Student)

Jeffrey Bradshaw (Entomology/Plant Pathology: John Hill, Plant Pathology, co-advisor). Ecology and management of the bean leaf beetle and bean pod mottle virus in soybean.


CORN PEST MANAGEMENT

TOLLEFSON

The overall goal of the project is to develop management strategies for insect pests of corn. Research is focused mainly on the corn rootworm and includes evaluating the efficacy and suitability to Iowa production systems of recently developed transgenic corn varieties.

Project Leader

Jon Tollefson - Professor

Agricultural Specialist (P&S)

James Oleson. Supervision of evaluation of insecticides for control of corn pests and coordination of research.

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Patti Prasifka. Determining the distribution, abundance and impact of rotation-resistant corn rootworms.

Research Assistant (MS Student)

Stephanie Kadlicko (Entomology). Yield tolerance of commercial Serbian corn varieties to attack by corn rootworms.

PhD Student

Rachel Binning (Entomology: Hellmich, co-advisor). Investigate insect behavior related to resistance to transgenic corn.

MS Students

Nick Kiley (Entomology). Determining the distribution, abundance and impact of rotation-resistant corn rootworms.

Miriam Lopez (Entomology: L. Lewis, co-advisor). Insect pathology and Bt risk assessment.

Erica Simbro (Entomology: L. Lewis, co-advisor). Incidence of disease infection in western bean cutworm (WBCW) populations and its impact on their susceptibility to Bt proteins and rearing.


EXTENSION INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY/DISTANCE EDUCATION

VANDYK

Dr. VanDyk is responsible for creating and maintaining information technology infrastructure in support of entomology research, education, and extension. Emphasis is on the use of Web 2.0 technologies such as tagging, collaboration and community-driven websites. Current efforts include two periodic extension publications (the Integrated Crop Management and Horticulture and Home Pest newsletters), pest monitoring networks for black cutworm and western bean cutworm, creation of an entomology digital library, and the BugGuide.net website which contains over 14,000 pages and receives more than 1.5 million hits per day.

Project Leader

John VanDyk - Systems Analyst/Adjunct Assistant Professor


INSECT CHEMICAL ECOLOGY, ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, AND THEIR PRACTICAL APPLICATION IN INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT

ZHU

Research in infochemical tritrophic interactions of economically important insect pests, host plants and their natural enemies. Development of novel, environmentally sound, semiochemical-based pest control technologies. Current research focuses on the development of (1) Pheromone/kairomone-based systems for monitoring soybean aphid outbreaks and suppressing their populations; (2) Identification and formulation of natural product repellents and their practical use in urban pest control (mosquitoes, cockroaches, ticks and fire ants); (3) Novel mosquito surveillance and control tools for reducing vector-borne diseases; and (4) Molecular responses to aphid feeding in soybeans in relation to the plant defense system, and development of a chemically-induced gene promoter system for biorational control of soybean aphids.

Project Leader

Junwei Zhu - Associate Scientist/Affiliate Assistant Professor

USDA-ARS CORN INSECTS AND CROP GENETICS RESEARCH UNIT


ECOLOGY AND GENETICS OF CORN INSECT PESTS

HELLMICH

Research focuses on the ecology and genetics of corn insect pests, resistance management, and non-target effects of transgenic corn. Development of practical strategies that corn producers can use to prevent or delay European corn borers from becoming resistant to transgenic corn toxins. Development of video tracking systems that can be used to assess tunneling behavior of corn borer larvae.

Project Leader

Richard Hellmich - Collaborator/Assistant Professor.

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Jarrad Prasifka. Develop methods to monitor for European corn borer resistance to Bt corn and investigate non-target effects of transgenic corn.

PhD Student

Rachel Binning (Entomology: Tollefson, co-advisor). Investigate insect behavior related to resistance to transgenic corn.

Research Technician

Keith Bidne. Supervisor of Insect Ecology Laboratory.

PATHOLOGY OF CORN INSECT PESTS

LEWIS

Research in classical insect pathology/biological control of insect pests of corn. Currently conducting research on Beauveria bassiana as a plant endophyte, Nosema pyrausta as a population regulator, and the potential impact of transgenic plants on nontarget organisms including insect pathogens.

Project Leader

Leslie C. Lewis - Collaborator/Professor

Research Technician (MS Student)

Miriam Lopez (Entomology: Tollefson, co-advisor). Insect pathology and Bt risk assessment.

MS Student

Erica Simbro (Entomology: Tollefson, co-advisor). Incidence of disease infection in western bean cutworm (WBCW) populations and its impact on their susceptibility to Bt proteins and rearing.

Research Technicians

Bob Gunnarson. Supervisor of the Insect Pathology Laboratory.

Jean Dyer. Supervisor of insect rearing.

ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR OF CORN INSECT PESTS

SAPPINGTON

Research in conventional, landscape, and molecular ecology of insect pests of corn, and the role of individual variation in behavior on population-level phenomena. Currently conducting research on characterizing European corn borer adult aggregation sites, distribution of egg masses throughout fields and landscape features affecting it, flight and dispersal behavior (via mark-release and flight mills), and inference of gene flow using molecular markers. Also molecular ecology of western corn rootworm.

Project Leader

Thomas W. Sappington - Collaborator/Assistant Professor

Postdoctoral Research Associates

Kyung Seok Kim. Molecular ecology and population genetics of European corn borer and western corn rootworm.

Nicholas J. Miller. Molecular ecology and population genetics of western corn rootworm, and marker development for western bean cutworm.

Research Technician

Randy Ritland. Supports field research on European corn borer adult ecology.

ECOLOGICAL GENETICS OF CORN INSECT PESTS

SUMERFORD

Research in the areas of classical genetics and genetic mapping to better evaluate strategies to slow the development of resistance to transgenic crops in insect pests of corn. Incorporation of molecular tools to address genetic parameters that affect the development of resistant insects.

Project Leader

Douglas V. Sumerford - Collaborator/Assistant Professor

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Brad Coates. Investigate genetics of European corn borer resistance to Bt corn.

Entomologist

Jim Robbins. Supports field research on European corn borer adult ecology. Oversees insect rearing.