Gregory Loeb

The overall goal of my research program is to understand the principal forces that influence the population dynamics and species interactions of herbivores in agricultural and natural ecosystems and use this information to devise and implement multi-tactic pest management programs. My areas of research expertise include plant-arthropod interactions, biological control, chemical ecology and integrated pest management. My more basic research is focused on how host plant traits and other environmental factors influence interactions between plants and their herbivores, and herbivores and natural enemies. My more applied research program focuses on the ecology and integrated control of specific arthropod pests of grapes and small fruit crops. My goal in extension is to translate and transfer results of applied research on pest biology and control to our grower clientele so that they will be better informed and better able to make sound pest management decisions. Educating growers and pest control advisors as to the proper and effective use of pesticides is an important aspect of my responsibilities. In addition, however, I include other approaches to pest control such as the use of predators and parasites, manipulation of pest behavior, cultural techniques and host plant resistance.

Selected Publications:

• Stockton, D., and Loeb, G. 2022. Diet hierarchies guide temporal-spatial variation in Drosophila suzukii resource use. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, In Press.
• Mertz, R.W., Hesler, S.P., Pfannenstiel, L.J., Norris,R.H., Loeb, G. and Scott, J.G. 2021. Insecticide resistance in Drosophila melanogaster in vineyards and evaulation of alternative insecticides. Pest Management Science, doi: 10.1002/ps.674
• Stockton, D. G., and Loeb, G. 2021. Winter warm-up frequency and the degree of temperature fluctuations affect survival outcomes of spotted-wing Drosophila winter morphotypes. Journal of Insect Physiology, 131:104246, doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2021/104246.
• Willden, S.A, Cox, K.D., Pritts, M.P., and Loeb, G.M. 2020. A comparison of weed, pathogen and insect pests between low tunnel and open-field grown strawberries in New York. Crop Protection 139, doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro. 2020.105388.
• Cha, D.H., Roh, G.H., Hesler, S.P., Wallingford, A., Stockton, D.G., Park, S.K., and Loeb, G. 2020. 2-pentlyfuran: a novel repellent of Drosophila suzukii. Pest Management Science, doi: 10.1002/ps.6196.
• Arora, A.K., Clark, N., Wentworth, K.S., Hesler, S., Fuchs, M., Loeb, G., and Douglas, A.E. 2020. Evaluation of rna interference for control of the grape mealybug Pseudococcus maritimus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae). Insects 2020, aa,739; doi:10.3390/insects11110739.
• Boucher, M., Collins, R., Harling, K., Brind’Amour, G., Cox, K., and Loeb., G. 2020. Interactions between Delia platura and Erwinia amylovora associated with insect mediated transmission of shoot blight. PhytoFrontiers, doi.org/10.1094/phytofr-08-20-0013-R.
• Wolfin, M.S., Chilson, R.R. III, Thrall, J., Liu, Y., Volo, S., Cha, D.H., Loeb, G.M., and Linn, C.E. Jr. 2020. Habitat cues synergize to elicit chemically-mediated landing behavior in a specialist phytophagous insect, the grape berry moth. Entomologia et applicata, 168: 880-889. Doi.org/10.1111/eea.13003.
• Grab, H., Poveda, K., Danforth, B., and Loeb, G. 2018. Landscape context shifts the balance of costs and benefits from wildflower borders on multiple ecosystem services. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 285: 20181102, http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.1102.
• Hall, M.E., Loeb, G.M., Cadle-Davidson, L., Evans, K.J., and Wilcox, W.F. 2018. Grape sour rot: a four-way interaction involving the host, yeast, acetic acid bacteria, and insects. Phytopathology, doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-03-18-0098-R.

• CALS Cornell Outstanding Accomplishments in Research Award, 2017
• Entomological Society of America Excellence in Integrated Pest Management Award, 2016
• New York Wine and Grape foundation Award for Major Contributions in Research and Education, 2011
• Excellence in IPM Award, New York State Integrated Pest Management Program, 2010

• ENTOM 9900: Doctoral Level Thesis Research
• ENTOM 3200: Grape Pest Management
• PLSCI 4440/5440: Grape Pest Management
• VIEN 3200: Grape Pest Management