Allison Bistline-East

• PhD
• PostDoc Position at Purdue University West Lafayette

The biology and ecology of Psyllaphycus diaphorinae Hayat, a potential natural enemy of Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), is poorly understood. In April 2013, six P. diaphorinae females collected from Punjab, Pakistan emerged from parasitized ACP nymphs in quarantine at the University of California, Rivers...

Host range and specificity tests for Diaphorencyrtus aligarhensis Shafee, Alam, and Agarwal (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), a primary endoparasitoid of the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), from Punjab Pakistan were conducted between February and November 2013 at the University of California, Riverside, California In...

Host range tests for Diaphorencyrtus aligarhensis (Shafee, Alam, & Agarwal) (Hymenop-tera: Encyrtidae), an endoparasitoid of Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), sourced from Punjab Pakistan, were conducted in quarantine at the University of California, Riverside, CA. Seven nontarget psyllid species representing fo...

Two species of suspected hyperparasitoids, Chartocerus sp. and Pachyneuron crassiculme, emerged from parasitized Diaphorina citri nymphs collected in Punjab Pakistan over 15-22 Apr 2013. Exposure tests conducted in quarantine on D. citri nymphs parasitized by Tamarixia radiata and Diaphorencyrtus aligarhensis, as well as unparasitized D. citri nymp...

• Terrestrial slugs are pervasive pests of agriculture throughout temperate regions and have the potential to disrupt the germination of seedlings, cause damage to fruiting bodies of crops, and vector plant pathogens. • Tetanocera elata Fabricius (Diptera: Sciomyzidae), a widely distributed Palaearctic species, is an obligate mesoparasitoid and pre...

The temperature-driven development rates and longevity times of Psyllaphycus diaphorinae Hayat (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), a hyperaparasitoid of Tamarixia radiata (Waterston) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and Diaphorencyrtus aligarhensis (Shafee, Alam & Agarwal) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), 2 primary parasitoids of Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri K...

Tetanocera elata (Fabricius) (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) is an obligate mesoparasitoid of pestiferous Deroceras spp. slugs in the first and second larval instars and then emerges to become a free-living predator of terrestrial slugs in the third instar. To determine the biological control potential of T. elata, naïve third-instar larvae were exposed to...

Recent concern regarding the negative environmental impacts of molluscicides has led to the investigation of safer alternatives for pestiferous slug control. One potential biocontrol agent is Tetanocera elata (Diptera:Sciomyzidae), the larval stage of which feeds on slugs. The pestiferous slug Deroceras reticulatum was exposed to neonate T. elata l...

While the larval stage of Tetanocera elata (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) is a known parasitoid and predator of pestiferous slugs, its biology and predatory behavior as well as its interaction with slug parasitic nematodes requires further investigation. In this study, survival of larvae fed from the neonate stage on Deroceras reticulatum Müller (a previou...

Pestiferous slugs are a cause of food loss globally. The recent EU banning of chemical methiocarb slug pellets, due to their toxic effects on non-target organisms and concerns regarding water contamination from slug pellets containing metaldehyde, has resulted in increased interest in novel biocontrol agents of pestiferous slugs. While the larval s...

Marsh flies (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) are a diverse family which provide valuable ecosystem services, biological control of agriculturally-pestiferous molluscs. Ongoing research on the species Tetanocera elata Fabricius suggests it may be a suitable natural enemy and biocontrol agent of Deroceras reticulatum Müller, a widely-distributed pest of garden...

Marsh flies are a diverse family that provide valuable ecosystem services, including the biological control of mollusks that are agricultural pests and vectors of animal and human parasitic diseases. In addition, some species may serve as important ecological bioindicators. Despite the extensive research on this family, most have centered on larval...

AWARD Student Presentation Award (Best Poster) ABSTRACT Marsh flies (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) are a diverse family which provide valuable ecosystem services, including many species which provide biological control of molluscs which are agricultural pests and vectors of animal and human parasitic diseases. Recent research undertaken at the Applied Eco...

A brief overview of work being done on Psyllaphycus diaphorinae Hayat Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) in relation to Asian citrus psyllid biological control in southern California.

Since its initial description by Hayat in 1972, Psyllaphycus diaphorinae (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) has been subject to very little research, as it has proven both elusive in the field and difficult to establish in culture. In April 2013, six P. diaphorinae females from Punjab, Pakistan emerged from parasitized Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina...

Two species of suspected hyperparasitoids, Chartocerus sp. and Pachyneuron crassiculme, emerged from parasitized Diaphorina citri nymphs collected in Punjab Pakistan over 15-22 Apr 2013. Exposure tests conducted in quarantine on D. citri nymphs parasitized by Tamarixia radiata and Diaphorencyrtus aligarhensis, as well as unparasitized D. citri nymp...

Exposure trials were conducted in quarantine to determine if Chartocerus sp. (Hymenoptera: Signiphoirdae) and Pachyneuron crassiculme (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) collected from Punjab, Pakistan are primary parasitoids of Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri, or hyperparasitoids capable of utilizing parasitized ACP...