Fall 2011

This past year we have had the great honor of paying tribute to some friends of our department. First we celebrated Dr. Tim Schowalter the retirement of Dr. David Boethel (former faculty member of the department) from his position as vice chancellor and director, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, after 32 years of service to the LSU AgCenter. Later this year we paid tribute to dear friends of agriculture, Ray and Dorothy Young as we launched the new Ray and Dorothy Young Endowed Assis-

From the Department Head

Professor of Entomology and J. Hamilton Regents Chair in Cotton Production B. Rogers Leonard, Dorothy and Ray Young and LSU College of Agriculture Dean Ken Koonce.

tantship in Field Crop Integrated Pest Management (provided by the Louisiana Agricultural Consultants Association). This endowment will provide a graduate assistantship for a student in entomology, plant pathology or weed science. Given the high caliber of our graduate
(Continued on page 7)

Lane Foil and Claudia Husseneder In July 2010 a National Science Foundation Rapid Response Research (NSFRAPID) proposal (A Survey of Tabanid and Ceratopogonid Populations along Coastal Louisiana to Establish Baseline Data for Measuring the Impact of the BP Oil Spill on Tidal Marsh Communities) developed by Drs. Lane Foil and Claudia Husseneder was funded. After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico (April 2010) a survey was initiated for insects belonging to the families Tabanidae (horse flies) and Ceratopogonidae (biting midges) because they develop in tidal marshes in Louisiana. The larvae of both families are dependent upon the invertebrate food web Locations of the ceratopogonid (red square) and tabanid (yellow pins) surveys. around them in the mud of the tidal marshes and the adult reproduction is dependent upon the vertebrate hosts above the larval habitats. Therefore, tabanid and ceratopogonid residents of the marsh community will serve as bioindicators for wetland health since they require both aquatic and terrestrial habitat for survival. The studies show which areas of our tidal marshes have been most affected by the spill and identify areas needing mitigation and rehabilitation. The impact and recovery related to oil contamination are being evaluated at the insect species level via comparative analyses of baseline data on population abundance, species diversity and genetic diversity (determined by microsatellite genotyping) of tabanids and ceratopogonids collected in tidal marsh areas that were contaminated compared to population abundance and diversity of flies sampled in areas that were not contaminated. The sampling periods are from June 2010 to October 2011. The area targeted for the ceratopogonid survey was not oiled but two of the five tabanid survey locations were acutely affected. Analysis of the population tabanid surveys to date shows that in the western portion of Louisiana, where oil did not make landfall, tabanid populations were high. In contrast, in the eastern portion of the state at sites close to oiled areas of Barataria Bay and Grand Isle, tabanid catches were extremely low. These locations historically have high tabanid populations. The researchers intend to continue the survey for another year to determine if tabanid populations rebound (indicating that larval populations were not devastated) or remain depressed. Horse fly traps (Grand Bayou, Plaquemines

Gulf Oil Spill/Effects on Fly Recovery

Parish, Louisiana) are baited with dry ice (CO2) to attract horse flies. The tent hosts the bait.

1 or http://entomology.lsu.edu/index.htm www.lsuagcenter.comEntomology Newsletter

Research
Jeff Davis In November 2007, Dr. Jeffrey A. Davis was hired to do research that focuses on establishing and maintaining a sustainable soybean integrated pest management (IPM) program to reduce soybean grower costs and improve yields. This is done by utilizing biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools to regulate insect pest populations while minimizing environmental risks. His research is generating the necessary data on soybean insect pest density, distribution and biology that are critical to improving the overall soybean IPM program. These efforts have focused on a new, emerging insect soybean pest, the redbanded stink bug, Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood), and a re-emerging pest, the soybean looper, Chrysodeixis includens (Walker). Prior to 2000, the redbanded stink bug had not been an economic threat to soybean production in the U. S. Consequently, little is known about its damage potential, biology, movement and population dynamics. The first step was to establish the damage potential of redbanded stink bug and an economic threshold. Yields were not significantly reduced at redbanded stink bug action thresholds of zero, one and three stink bugs per 25 sweeps (50 to 64 bushels per acre). Yields were significantly reduced at six and nine per 25 sweeps (28 bushels per acre) and at 12 per 25 sweeps (10 bushels per acre). Seed quality was significantly reduced at six, nine

Redbanded stink bug

Soybean Entomology

and 12 stink bugs per 25 sweeps. Data indicates that redbanded thresholds will need to be lowered to less than the recommended six per 25 sweeps. Field colonization behavior of stink bugs is known to be aggregated. If stink bugs demonstrate aggregated distributions within field margins, site-specific targeting of insecticide applications is possible. Thus, part of Davis research efforts have focused on mapping and analyzing stink bug population densities and distributions within soybean fields and testing site-specific targeting of insecticide. Results from small scale plots (. 5 acre) indicate that stink bugs are aggregated along field edges early (R1) in the season. Applications along field edges reduced field colonization

by two weeks and reduced overall stink bug populations when soybeans had reached R6; 14 per 25 sweeps on field edges compared to 0 per 25 sweeps in field interior. Results from large scale plots (10 acre) confirmed stink bug field colonization along field edges. Davis lab then explored the use of a Maturity Group III soybean (MGIII) trap crop planted around a Maturity Group V soybean (MGV). The MGIII trap crop attracted stink bugs and held them all year. The MGIII trap crop was sprayed three times for stink bug control while the MGV never reached stink bug economic threshold and was never sprayed. New management tactics are needed to combat changing stink bug assemblages without destabilizing the system

Department of Entomology
Timothy D. Schowalter, Head 404 Life Sciences Building Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA 70803 tschowalter@agcenter.lsu.edu Tel (225) 578-1634 Fax (225) 578-2257

Louisiana State University Agricultural Center William B. Richardson, Chancellor John S. Russin, Vice Chancellor and Director of Research Paul D. Coreil, Vice Chancellor and Director of Extension Louisiana State University and A&M College Mike Martin, Chancellor College of Agriculture Kenneth L. Koonce, Dean
The LSU Agricultural Center provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. The Louisiana State University and A&M College is an equal opportunity/equal access employer.

www.lsuagcenter.com or http://entomology.lsu.edu/index.htm

Produced by LSU AgCenter Communications

2 Entomology Newsletter

further with insecticide use. With this in mind, the Davis Lab has, for the last two years, screened commercially available, high yielding soybean varieties and has identified several which differ significantly in their susceptibility to stink bugs. Their research indicates that the resistance found in these varieties, in combination with biological control or reduced insecticide use, should provide substantial control, reducing reliance on pesticides and saving producers money. Simulation models indicate that for a moderately resistant soybean variety, insecticide applications for stink bug control could be cut by two-thirds compared to that required for a susceptible variety. Biological control is an important component of IPM, reducing the cost of chemical control while decreasing pest populations through natural means. Previous to Davis work, there was no information on which biological control agents currently infect or impact redbanded stink bug in the U. S. Miyanda Moonga (doctoral candidate), a Fulbright Scholar from Zambia who started in the fall of 2010, is working under Davis to identify egg parasitoid of redbanded stink bug. She has found that, overall, 49 percent of redbanded stink bug egg masses were parasitized. Eighty percent of all parasitoids are a single species. The soybean looper is an important pest of soybean in southeastern U. S. and is highly resistant to most insecticides, with few products existing for control. Early planted soybeans can escape damaging levels, however, double-cropping wheat and soybean is leading to increased insecticide applications for this pest. In 2008, we received the first reports of unsatisfactory control for soybean looper with methoxyfenozide. Davis lab began a monitoring program in 2009. Sebe Brown (masters candidate) started in the spring of 2010 and is conducting methoxyfenozide resistance research using a diet incorporated technique. Brown has found that methoxyfenozide resistance exists in Louisiana soybean looper populations, resulting in longer survivorship, greater defoliation and reduced residual efficacy. Other members of the Davis Lab include Arthur Richter (research associate), who provides valuable research support to all ongoing projects, and three undergraduate student work-

ers: Renee Dale, Daniel Nelson and Matthew Nelson. In the fall of 2011, Kukuh Hernowo (doctoral candidate), a Fulbright Scholar from Indonesia, has joined the Davis Lab to work on aspects of below ground mediated host plant resistance to above ground soybean pests and its impact on biological control.

Rick Story and Tara Smith ConAgras Lamb Weston division, which is based in Washington, has built a state-of-the-art processing plant near Delhi to take advantage of Louisianas sweet potato crop. Company officials said they also chose the location to be in close collaboration with the researchers and extension specialists at the nearby Sweet Potato Research Station in Chase, La. These include Drs. Tara Smith and Arthur Villordan (researchers at the Sweet Potato Research Station), Donnie Miller (weed scientist at Northeast Research Station), and David Picha (postharvest physiologist), Don LaBonte (horticulturalist and plant breeder), Chris Clark (plant pathologist) and Rick Story (entomologist) all located on the LSU main campus. The extension component includes Drs. Donald Ferrin, Myrl Sistrunk and Vincent Deshotel. Louisiana has about 14,000 acres of sweet potatoes. North Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas and California also produce sweet potatoes. The ConAgra Lamb Weston facility expects to source more than half of their product needs from Louisiana producers but will also work closely with producers in other states. Lamb Weston markets frozen sweet potato products (wedges, puffs and mashed) to restaurants through its Sweet Things brand and to grocery stores through its Alexia brand. It operates frozen-food processing plants in the Pacific Northwest, Minnesota and Canada. Sweet potatoes are affected by many insect pests, both foliar feeding and root feeding. Root feeding insects such as the sweet potato weevil, rootworms, white grubs, sugarcane beetle and wireworms impact the marketed portion of the crop directly. Tolerance for minor blemishes (feeding scars) on roots is quite strict (U. S. No. 1 grade

Sweet Potato Research

potatoes are allowed to have no more than five percent of the roots with one or more minor blemishes). Lower grade potatoes sell at a lower price, hence, growers try to minimize soil insect damage. Processed products such as those which ConAgra is producing have a higher tolerance for insect damage to roots. The plant will provide a market for our growers which will accept jumbos, canners and light to moderate insect damaged roots. It is hoped that the increased demand for sweet potato roots will enable growers in Louisiana to expand their acreage and increase their productivity.

News
Gene Reagan The Entomological Society of America (ESA) has established a liaison position with the U.S.-Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) for the purpose of encouraging more practical perspectives in the labeling and re-labeling process of pesticides and facilitating networking contacts to scientists from the various ESA sections. Also, this position provides useful access to practitioners and stakeholders, assists with EPA directed meetings where appropriate, and facilitates use of technical information to clarify scientific issues and enhance public understanding of the pesticide regulation process by EPA. The fundamental goal of the liaison position with OPP has been to provide objective, unbiased information to assist EPA in making informed decisions regarding pesticide registration and regulation. Dr. Gene Reagan was selected to fill this position in 2010. This work has been very rewarding and exciting and has provided him an opportunity to utilize his background and experiences in field crops, IPM research and classroom instruction. Reagan appreciates a group of very hard working and dedicated scientists at EPA who take their responsibilities seriously, with a focus on meeting timelines. These individuals are often overworked, but have shown a commitment to those who use pesti-

Accomplishments from ESA-EPA Liaison Position

3 Entomology Newsletter

News
cides while protecting the environment. It is also Dr. Reagans experience that those involved in pesticide registration work have an interest in the practical perspective, but sometimes do not have the specific information to achieve a practical perspective. Each branch at OPP has one or more senior scientists who have some level of entomological training. Some have doctorates and many of the younger scientists are well trained in various areas of biology; others are American Phytopathological Society (APS) and Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) members. One of the first actions Reagan was able to accomplish with EPA was to provide selected non-entomologists open-access to ESA publications. They plan to adjust this list annually (currently 13) based on changes in entomology-related job tasks. The personnel at OPP have been gracious and accommodating to his efforts serving ESA. Depending on the particular subject and need, Reagan has various responsibilities, which has included presenting seminars, leading discussions, asking issue-related questions or serving as a resource and identifying experts on entomological topics. A very positive experience has been collaborating with the WSSA liaison Jill Schroeder and the APS liaison Frank Wong prior to his move to industry. Extensive interactions involving the Benefits and Economics Analysis Division (BEAD) helped in the development of a multi-disciplinary pesticide resistance glossary, where each liaison obtained input from our respective societies. Collaborations also provided input toward mode of action labeling and resistance management issues. The long-term values from establishing the glossary are starting to be realized, also impacting other branches. Detailed descriptions of this work can be found in quarterly reports and attachments on the ESA website (www. entsoc. org/about_esa/governance/ other/sections/pie). Feedback from the professional societies regarding the liaison work has been positive. Another opportunity of the EPA liaison position also might be to develop a potential foundation for a platform to accomplish the ESA vision of substantially influ-

encing public policy. Many also believe that the liaison position as an experiment has the potential to increase the reach and impact of ESA to advance the science of entomology.

Dr. Dorothy Prowell retired in January 2011 after 30 years of service. Dr. Wayne Kramer departed in November 2010 after five years of service. Dr. Dale Pollet (retired) received the 2011 College of Agriculture Outstanding Alumnus of the Year Award. Dr. Claudia Husseneder received the Entomological Society of America, Southeastern Branch Recognition Award in Urban Entomology. This award recognizes outstanding contributions to management of urban insects. Husseneder received this award at the branch meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico in March. Dr. Jim Ottea received the 2011 Tiger Athletic Foundation Outstanding Teaching Award. Dr. Seth Johnson received the Louisiana Agriculture 2010 Article of the Year Award for his paper Zombie fire ants: biological control of the red imported fire ant in Louisiana with decapitating phorid flies, which appeared in volume 53,
Dr. James Ottea

Faculty Changes

Dr. Gene Reagan and colleagues received a highly competitive and coveted grant on Managing insect pests and diseases in multiuse landscapes of bioenergy and conventional cropping systems in the Gulf Coast from the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Institute (AFRI) Sustainable Bioenergy Program. Dr. Gene Reagan The grant provides just under one million dollars for five years to Drs. Reagan (Entomology), Jeff Hoy (Plant Pathology), Ted Wilson, Yubin Yang and Mo Way (Texas A&M University) and Allan Showler (USDA Lab, Weslaco, Texas) to support multidiscipline, multistate rescources among several crops systems in interaction with conventional crops in the Gulf Coast of the United States. This grant is a model for how to acquire funds from the new AFRI structure that diverted most of the competitive funding to a few new programs that emphasize multi-disciplinary projects. Dr. Linda Hooper-Bi is a member of a multi-institutional consortium that received a total of about $12 million from the Gulf Research Initiative for Gulf oil spill research. Bis portion of $1. 1 million over three years will support research on responses of marsh insects to oil contamination.
Dr. Linda Hooper-Bi

Major Competitive Grants and Contracts

Honors and Awards

Dr. Dale Pollet

Dr. Claudia Husseneder

Visit our website at http://entomology.lsu.edu/index.htm

Dr. Seth Johnson

4 Entomology Newsletter

Distinguished Lecturers
Richard A. Redak Professor of Entomology and Department Chair University of California-Riverside James F. A. Traniello Professor of Biology Boston University number 4. This award was presented at the AgCenter Awards Ceremony in December 2010. Victoria Bayless, curator of the Louisiana State Arthropod Museum, was elected president of the Coleopterists Society at the ESA meeting in San Diego in December 2010 and will serve six years as president-elect, president and past president. The society is a professional organization devoted to the study of beetles and is the largest such society in the world. Responsibilities include promotion of the society to the scientific community at large, oversight of committee assignments, organizing annual meetings and development of new program initiatives. Dr. David Boethel was inducted into the Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Fame by the Louisiana Agricultural Consultants Association.
Dr. David Boethel

Graduate Students
The department hosted an Entomology graduate symposium, held in the Life Sciences Building in November 2010. Student paper and poster presentations were judged using the criteria established by the Entomological Society of America for student presentation awards. This symposium provided an opportunity for ESA-bound students to practice their presentations for the ESA student competition. Judges for student presentations were Dr. Lane Foil, Dr. Tim Schowalter and Dr. Melissa Willrich-Siebert and for posters were Dr. Jeff Davis, Dr. Scott Martin, Dr. Rick Story and Hunter Fife. The symposium was sponsored by Bengal Products Inc. , Dow AgroSciences and Syngenta Crop Protection. Oral presentation award recipients were Matthew Gimmel (doctoral student under Dr. Chris Carlton) in the Integrative Physiology and Molecular Insect Systems and Systematics, Evolution and Biodiversity Section, and first place winner Julien Beuzelin (doctoral student under Dr. Gene Reagan) and honorable mention winner Joshua Temple (doctoral student under Dr. Roger Leonard) in the Plant-Insect Ecosystems Section. Poster award recipients were Mike Ferro (doctoral student under Dr. Chris Carlton) in the Integrative Physiology & Molecular Insect Systems and Systematics, Evolution and Biodiversity Section and Jessica Moore Parker (masters student under Dr. Roger Leonard) in the Plant-Insect Ecosystems Section.

Entomology Graduate Symposium

Entomological Society of America, Southeastern Branch

2013 Annual Meeting to Be Held in Baton Rouge
The 2013 Southeastern Branch, Entomological Society of America meeting will be held March 3-5 at the Baton Rouge Capitol Center Hilton Hotel, a beautifully renovated historic luxury hotel overlooking the Mississippi River in the heart of downtown Baton Rouge (see www. hiltoncapitolcenter. com). The hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places. Downtown attractions within walking distance include the historic old and new Capitol buildings, Louisiana Museum of Science and Technology, River Center Convention Center, USS Kidd Veterans Memorial and Museum and riverboat casinos. Also available are a variety of downtown restaurants ranging from Creole/Cajun to the rooftop Tsunami sushi restaurant. Nearby attractions include the Audubon Insectarium and historic French Quarter in New Orleans, an hours drive southeast, an egret and spoonbill rookery at Lake Martin, an hour west, and the Oakley House (Audubon State Historic Site),

Alumni News
Hank Jones, M. S. 2004 under Dr. Roger Leonard, was elected president of the Louisiana Agricultural Consultants Association (LACA). The department has maintained a strong working relationship with this organization and a number of members and several past presidents are alums of our department.

The Baton Rouge Capitol Center Hilton Hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places.

where Audubon worked and painted many of his Birds of America, in St. Francisville, about an hour north. Attendees can fly into either Baton Rouge or New Orleans. Complimentary shuttle service is available to the Baton Rouge airport. A crawfish boil will be arranged for the welcome reception. We also are making arrangements with the Audubon Insectarium to provide opportunities for guests to visit this outstanding entomological museum.

5 Entomology Newsletter

Entomology Club
Sebe Brown Masters student and Entomology Club president The LSU Entomology Club participated in a wide variety of events this past year. The 2010 fall cookout was held at Dr. Natalie Hummel and husband Chaz Hummels home on Oct. 30. This fun social event was complete with a costume contest, great food and a variety of entertainment. Special thanks to Chaz Hummel and Paul Schweinefus for manning the grill. The Entomology Club had a great showing at the annual Entomological Society of America national meeting held in San Diego, Calif. , Dec. 12-15. Club members volunteered their time at a booth promoting the Department of Entomology. Water bottles, T-shirts, mugs and calendars were distributed. Many thanks to all who helped with the booth and to all the visitors who stopped by. Also in December, the book Dragonflies and Damselflies of Louisiana was released for purchase by Entomology Club members and editors Mike Ferro, Katherine Parys and Matt Gimmel. Photography was provided by Gayle and Jeanell Strickland. This full-color, highly detailed, field guide is a must for any amateur or serious Odonate watcher and isnt limited to just Louisiana. It retails for $35, and can be purchased at www. amazon. com or www. createspace. com. On Feb. 25, the Entomology Club held a departmental chili cookoff in the Life Sciences Building on the LSU campus. Six teams competed for the prestigious first place award and the Louisiana State Arthropod Museum (LSAM) team led by Dr. Chris Carlton and Victoria Bayless emerged victorious. Along with great food and conversation, this event helped raise funds for the Entomology Club. The last weekend of March, Miyanda Moonga, David Wangila, Ben Joffrion, Matt Gimmel, Mike Ferro, Jessica Parker, Katherine Parys, Bryce Blackman, Matt Van Weelden and Sebe Brown volunteered in the Kid Zone at the annual Baton Rouge Spring Garden Show. This was a great opportunity for club members to interact with local gardeners and to educate children about insects. Special thanks to Dr. Gregg Henderson for his termite display and Dr. Bob Danka for the observation bee hive. In April, Dr. Chris Carlton, Mike Ferro, Matt Gimmel, Jong-Seok Park and the ENTM 4005 insect taxonomy class presented a nighttime light trapping demonstration to more than 60 Girl Scouts at the Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center in Baton Rouge. It was an excellent night for the Girl Scouts to use homemade aspirators and receive hands-on entomological training. Many thanks to Dr. Carlton for providing the light traps and Mike Ferro and Matt Gimmel for making the aspirators. In April 2011, Stephanie Gil and Mike Ferro taught 15 kids and five fascinated adults about insect biology at the Junior Master Gardener Summer Camp hosted by the Hilltop Arboretum. During the first week of May, Entomology Club members helped work and set up the entomology section of the annual

Entomology Club Activities

LSU AgCenters AgMagic. This was a fantastic opportunity for club members and the department to educate local school children and their parents on the importance of entomology in food and fiber production. Shrieks could be heard from across the arena as children were able to hold hissing cock roaches and get very close to an emperor scorpion. Special thanks to all the members of the department who donated teaching materials and interacted with more than 10,000 children and adults. In June 2011, the third annual Mad Dog Marathon was held on the LSU campus. Matt Gimmel and Mike Ferro both organized and participated in this 24- hour, bio-blitz-style insect collection and curation event. The competition this year featured eight participants, including the former undergraduate student Dmitry Mad Dog Chouljenko for whom the event is named. Matt Gimmel, for the third year, has been the official winner of the competition with 111 families; however, seven other winners were also recognized, because to survive the Mad Dog Marathon is to win it. Many thanks to the participants and to Dr. Chris Carlton and Victoria Bayless for judging the collections. The participants this year, braving a high of 96F, collected 26 new families and one new order. This event also raised more than $400 for the Louisiana State Arthropod Museum Foundation. Entomology Club officers for the 2010-2011 year are Blake Wilson (president), Ben Joffrion (vice president), Bryce Blackman (treasurer) and Max Adams (secretary). For more information, visit our The Entomology Club at LSU Facebook page.

Students
Julien Beuzelin (Ph. D. 2011 under Dr. Gene Reagan) was selected to receive the ESA John Henry Comstock Award from the Southeastern Branch; earlier in the year, Beuzelin received the 2011 L. D. Newsom Graduate Student Award from the Entomology Department. This award is conferred for outstanding accomplishment by a doctoral student during the previous calendar year. Julien Beuzelin (doctoral student with Dr. Gene Reagan) received first place and Jarrod Hardke (doctoral student with Dr. Roger Leonard) received second place awards in the doctoral paper competition at the Southeastern Branch, Entomological Society of America Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in March 2011. Jessica Moore Parker (masters student with Dr. Roger Leonard) received first place in the masters oral paper competition at this meeting. These were the top three awards and three of the eight graduate student awards conferred at this meeting. Jarrod Hardke (doctoral student with Dr. Roger Leonard) received first place and Josh Temple (doctoral student with Dr. Roger Leonard) received second place awards in the graduate student paper competition in the Plant-Insect Ecosystems Section at the Entomological Society of America meeting in San Diego in December 2010. Hardkes paper was Characterizing the activity of Vip3A against fall armyworm (Lepidop-

Student Awards Received this Past Year

6 Entomology Newsletter

tera: Noctuidae) in field corn and cotton and Temples paper was Oviposition preference and sex ratio of redbanded stink bug, Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood) in Louisiana soybean. Jong-Seok Park (doctoral student with Dr. Chris Carlton) received the second place award in the student paper competition in the Young Korean Entomologists Symposium. His paper was Taxonomic review of the genus Sagola Sharp (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae: Faronitae). Yunlong Yang (doctoral student with Dr. Fangneng Huang) received the first place award in the student paper competition from the Overseas Chinese Entomologists Association during the Entomological Society of America meeting in San Diego in December 2010. The departmental Student Debate Team received honorable mention for its pro position on the topic Increasing natural enemy diversity among arthropods is compatible with the goals of biological control and IPM at the Entomological Society of America meeting in San Diego in December 2010. Team members were Sebe Brown (masters student with Dr. Jeff Davis), Jennifer Gordon (masters student with Dr. Jim Ottea), Kat Parys (doctoral student with Dr. Seth Johnson)

and Blake Wilson (masters student with Dr. Gene Reagan). The pro and con positions are assigned by the debate organizers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the participants. Six teams debated three topics related to biodiversity.

Recent Graduates
Jennifer Gordon (M. S. 2010 under Dr. Ottea) Julien Beuzelin (Ph. D. 2011 under Dr. Reagan) Matthew Gimmel (Ph. D. 2011 under Dr. Carlton) Jarrod Hardke (Ph. D. 2011 under Dr. Leonard) Erich Schoeller (M. S. 2011 under Dr. Allison) Blake Wilson (M. S. 2011 under Dr. Reagan) Cole Younger (Ph. D. 2011 under Dr. Foil)

From the Department Head

(Continued from page 1)

recruits, we expect to compete well for this assistantship. I recently compiled award data for the department. I am pleased to report that in the past eight years, 17 faculty and staff have been nominated for 55 institutional and professional awards and received 25 institutional awards, including five competitive professorships, and eight professional awards. These awards reflect significant faculty accomplishments, including highly competitive NSF, NIH and DOD grants, as well as corporate and commodity contracts and exemplary teaching and extension activities as described below. The LSU AgCenter and LSU A&M have scrutinized department programs for cuts based on graduate rates and other criteria. Our masters program was identified as a low completer program after the criteria were changed from five graduates per year on a five-year sliding average to a three-year sliding average. We are working to increase our recruiting efforts and to move students through their programs more quickly. Our masters program has been critical

to providing well-trained entomology graduates to meet employment needs of pest management and chemical industries, agricultural consulting services, public health organizations and various state agencies, as well as preparing students for doctoral programs. If you know prospective masters or doctoral students, please encourage them to apply to our program. Our award winning faculty and I would love to meet them to discuss opportunities. We appreciate any help with recruiting good students to our programs, which contributes to our mission of training the next generation of great entomologists. We have relied on strong external support in grants and contracts to maintain research and extension activities. However, our portion of the U. S. Department of Agricultures French Quarter Formosan subterranean termite program was among the earmarks cut by Congress this year. This program supported two faculty and six staff positions that will be phased out over its last year. Furthermore, our departmental budget has declined 25 percent in the past two years and our starting budget for this year was reduced another 10 percent. We are expecting additional mid-year cuts in our state budget.

These cuts and restrictions on spending from state funds have limited our ability to invite distinguished lecturers and other outside speakers (who augment the value of our graduate education), to support student travel to scientific meetings and to increase stipends for exceptional graduate students. We would like to initiate an LSU mixer at the national ESA meeting to facilitate collaboration and recruiting., but we can use only funds donated to the LSU Foundation for this and other entertainment activities. We urgently need your support for these and other departmental programs. Please contact me at 225-578-1634 or tschowalter@ agcenter. lsu. edu if you would like to support these programs. A form is included at the end of this newsletter with options for you to check if you would like to contribute to the department. Please update your contact information on the same page. We appreciate the support of all our donors and supporters, always enjoy hearing from you and welcome an opportunity to see you if you visit our campus. Sincerely, Tim Schowalter,
Professor and Head

7 Entomology Newsletter

Support for the Department of Entomology

___ Yes, I want to support the Entomology Department. I would like my donation of $________ to be used for: __Austin Thompson Endowed Assistantship __Jeffery P. La Fage Memorial Assistantship __L.D. Newsom Memorial Graduate Student Award __Ray & Dorothy Young Endowed Assistantship in Field Crop IPM __D. Michael Chambers Endowed Scholarship __David J. Boethel Scholarship __John & Grace Roussel Graduate Fellowship __Dr. Jerry Graves Distinguished Lecturer Fund __Extension Entomology Development Fund __4-H Entomology Awards Account __Louisiana State Arthropod Museum Fund __Entomology Development Fund __Other______________________________________________ __Please contact me at _____________________ to discuss giving options. Make checks payable to LSU Foundation and indicate the Entomolgy Department on the memo line. For credit card contributions: Type of credit card ___ Visa ___MC ___AmEx___Discover Expiration Date__________ Card#____________________ Mail to: LSU AgCenter Department of Entomology 404 Life Sciences Building Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA 70803 Contact Department Head Tim Schowalter for more information concerning contributions to the Department of Entomology at 225-578-1628 or TSchowalter@agcenter.lsu.edu.

Please update your contact information:

Name______________________________________ Address____________________________________ ___________________________________________ Address 2__________________________________ ___________________________________________ Phone ( Cell ( )______________________________ )________________________________ Or E-mail: Dr. Tim Schowalter tschowalter@agcenter.lsu.edu Mail to: LSU AgCenter Department of Entomology 404 Life Sciences Building Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA 70803

E-mail______________________________________

8 Entomology Newsletter