Penn State News

Research Update from The Turfgrass Entomology Laboratory

It has been one of the quieter turfgrass insect pest years I can remember – at least in the last eight years since I have been at Penn State. Annual bluegrass weevil (ABW) populations remain low at most sites across Pennsylvania, fall armyworm did not have back-to-back outbreak years, and white grub populations were likely negatively impacted by the extended drought-like conditions.

Despite the low pest pressure year, the Turfgrass Entomology Laboratory has been busy building for the future. This fall we welcome two new graduate students: Rowda Altamimi and Stokes Aker. Rowda recently completed a master’s degree at the University of Florida working on biological control of citrus pests. She will be bringing her experience in insect behavior to help us better understand ABW-moisture relationships, as well as develop more sustainable controls. Stokes comes to us from the University of Maryland where he provided technical support of numerous projects related to Emerald Ash Borer. His masters project will focus on the effects of spring insecticides on non-target arthropod populations and predator behavior.

Congratulations to current PhD candidates, Audrey Simard and Garrett Price for recent awards and scholarships. Audrey won the student oral presentation competition at the International Turfgrass Society meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark in July. In August, both were awarded Entomology Department scholarships. Audrey was awarded the Duke Memorial Scholarship and Garrett the Paul Heller Memorial Scholarship, named in honor of my colleague and predecessor. I think Dr. Heller would be quite proud of both.