My research focus is insect ecology with a commitment to improvement of pest management.  My lab’s research program focuses on leaf beetles which are agricultural pests, such as corn rootworms, cucumber beetles, and Colorado potato beetle. 

This effort involves the evaluation of environmentally-friendly tactics such as native biological controls and changes in tillage and cover cropping to suppress key pests such as Colorado potato beetle.

Our lab group includes Michael Athanas (Entomologist) and Meiling Webb (Entomologist). Zsofia Szendrei (former Postdoctoral Research Associate) is now Assistant Professor at Michigan State University Department of Entomology (see her Vegetable Entomology webpage).

Colorado potato beetle is the most important insect defoliator of potatoes in North America and Europe, and also an important pest of tomato and eggplant crops. None of the control techniques developed against this pest during the past 135 years has provided long-term protection of potato crops, and the beetle continues to be a major threat, evolving pesticide resistance repeatedly. Read more about it here.