Sustainability Leadership Fellow Cohort: 2018-2019
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Colorado State University
Research Summary:Invasions of new insect pests are a major problem in agricultural and natural systems. Parasitic wasps called parasitoids are often introduced as a biological control for pest insects, but competition and influence from the plants can affect the success of these wasps. I study how parasitoids use chemicals to compete with one another and how plant defensive chemicals affect parasitoid success in attacking hosts. My research improves our understanding of factors that affect the establishment success of insects after introductions. This information will help us predict the success of biological control introductions and lead to better control of pests.