EDUCATION

B.S. Biology, Santa Clara University, 2005

RESEARCH FOCUS

The economic and health impacts of mosquitoes as a vector of disease cannot be emphasized enough. The extensive use of larvicides has led to the evolution of resistance in the populations. Integrated methods of pest management are necessary in order to control mosquito populations effectively.

Predators of pest species are considered to be beneficial insects due to their potential ability to decrease pest population numbers. Mosquito fish, Gambusia affinis and G. holbrooki, are commonly used to control mosquito populations, but aquatic invertebrate predators, such as dragonfly nymphs, are also used as biological control.

Certain pesticides kill target and non-target species indiscriminately, thereby reducing beneficial insect populations. Development of species-specific biopesticides has grown significantly in the past few years. Among them, some biacylhydrazines, a group of ecdysone agonists, cause an incomplete molt and death in lepidopteran, dipteran, and coleopteran larvae, but are relatively non-toxic to mammals, birds, and fish. As such, research into their potential to control mosquito populations must be investigated.

My current research interests include:

1). Determining dose response relationships for both chronic and acute exposure to various ecdysone agonists (RH-2485, INTREPID, MACH-2, CONFIRM, etc) on the hatching rate and larval survival of three Culex species (Cx. quinquefasciatus, Cx. tarsalis, Cx. pipiens) and Aedes aegypti.

2). Investigating which instar of Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes aegypti is most senstive to ecdysone agonists.

3). Ascertain if using dragonfly nymphs as biological control is an effective method of mosquito control in Southern California, especially in conjunction with the use of ecdysone agonists.