Tracy C Leskey
Director

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Dr. Tracy C. Leskey
Innovative Fruit Production, Improvement and Protection
Entomology Research Leader / Director
Tracy.Leskey@ars.usda.gov
Phone: (304) 725-3451 ext. 329
Fax: (304) 728-7232
Room 310
2217 WILTSHIRE ROAD
APPALACHIAN FRUIT RS
KEARNEYSVILLE, WV 254302771
Curriculum
Vitae
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Education and Degrees
2000 Ph.D.
Entomology. The University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA
01003. Dissertation: Olfactory and Visual Stimuli Guiding Adult Plum
Curculios, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst) (Coleoptera:
Curculionidae), to Host Plants.
1995 M.S.
Ecology. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.
Thesis: Influence of flowering of Acer saccharum Marsh.
on reproduction of Taeniothrips inconsequens (Uzel)
(Thysanoptera:Thripidae).
1990 B.S.
Biology. Wilson College, Chambersburg, PA 17201.
Honors Project: Presence of concretions
in Malphigian tubules in an unidentified species of cranefly
(Diptera: Tipulidae): light and transmission electron microscopy studies.
Experience
2015-Present
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Research Leader / Director. USDA-ARS,
Appalachian Fruit Research Station. Kearneysville, WV 25430. Duties include
supervisory leadership and management of human resources including scientific
staff, technicians, administrative, secretarial and maintenance personnel,
and farm workers, physical resources including main laboratory building,
greenhouses, growth chambers, farm center and 500 acre research
farm, and associated fiscal resources.
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2002-Present
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Adjunct Faculty. Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University, Department of Entomology, Blacksburg VA 24061
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2000-Present
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Research Entomologist. USDA-ARS, Appalachian
Fruit Research Station. Kearneysville, WV 25430. Duties include conducting
research concerning behavioral and chemical ecology of key insect pests
associated with deciduous tree fruit production.
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Laboratory Personnel
Dalton Ludwick
Laura Nixon
John
Cullum
Sharon
Jones
Lee
Carper
Tony
Rugh
Chris
Hott
Leskey Laboratory Publications
Current Projects
Brown
Marmorated Stink Bug
Brown marmorated stink bug
(BMSB), Halyomorpha halys, is an
invasive species introduced to the USA from Asia in the mid-1990s. BMSB
is a severe agricultural and nuisance pest that feeds on over 170 host
plants, including economically important fruit, vegetables, row crops, and
ornamentals while also utilizing woodlands for host and overwintering
habitat. Since its introduction into the USA, BMSB has been detected in
43 states, with the most severe problems in the mid-Atlantic. In 2010,
$37 million in crop losses to apple occurred in this region and many other
specialty and row crops including peaches, nectarines, tomatoes, peppers,
sweet corn and soybeans incurred severe damage.
To
better manage damaging BMSB populations in the mid-Atlantic, we are
developing IPM tactics for BMSB in tree fruit including decision support
tools and behaviorally based management tactics including border sprays and
attract and kill. We are assisting other countries in the development
of surveillance programs. We are tracking the spread and impact of the
Asian parasitoid, Trissolcus japonicus, and we are learning
more about BMSB dispersal throughout agroecosystems
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Spotted Wing Drosophila

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii Matsumura,
is an invasive, polyphagous fruit fly that attacks soft-skinned fruits
including raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and cherries.
Originally from Asia, SWD has successfully invaded the United States and the
European and South American countries. At present, calendar-based insecticide
applications are used to combat SWD.

We have been developing an
attract-and-kill system for SWD based on its visual ecology and foraging
behavior. The system is known as attracticidal spheres and is
being developed for both organic and conventional systems and for use in a
variety of small fruit crops. This system has been used successfully
against apple maggot fly, Rhagoletis pomonella, in apple
orchards. Currently, we are evaluating attracticidal spheres
in both raspberry and blueberry plantings with collaborators across the
United States
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