There was good news on the student front this past week, as both Julie Ripoll (University of Montpellier 2) and Matthew Augé (University of Marseille) passed their oral thesis defenses for their master’s degrees. The work of both students will result in publications, Julie’s on the genetics of silver leaf nightshade and Matthew’s on the biology of the potential biological control agent of Vincetoxicum, the chrysomelid Chrysochus.

EBCL sent some more shipments last week. Dominique Coutinot sent parasitoids of Lygusto Newark via JFK International Airport. He has been using a freight broker (Fauna & Flora) there very successfully during the last year. Guy Mercadier is sending some fungal strains to the Swiss Bee Research Center, Bern. They had lost these strains and wanted to replenish their supply.

We have had some good interaction with the organization that helps the various agricultural research institutions in Montpellier communicate, the Agropolis. Dominique is writing an article on regulation of the movement of organisms for an issue of The Agropolis Dossiers (http://www.agropolis.fr/publications/dossiers-thematiques-agropolis.php) on biodiversity. I gave a talk organized by Agropolis at the University of Montpellier entitled “Ecological Services: Living with Biting Insects.” It was my first attempt to give a talk in French and I think the audience is still puzzling over the result.

Hope you have a good week,

Daniel A. Strickman, Ph.D.

Interim Director, European Biological Control Laboratory (26 Apr - 28 Sep 2010), Montpellier, France, tel: +33-4-99-62-3020.

Acting Director, Overseas Biological Control Laboratories.

National Program Leader.