Rob Straser

University of California, Riverside | UCR · Department of Entomology

Diet can influence parasitoid reproductive performance, and therefore, the efficacy of biocontrol programs. We evaluated the influence of food deprivation on the reproductive fitness and behavior of the egg parasitoid Hadronotus pennsylvanicus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), a prospective biocontrol agent for Leptoglossus zonatus (Heteroptera: Coreidae...

The western leaffooted bug, Leptoglossus zonatus (Dallas) (Heteroptera: Coreidae), is a key pest of almonds and pistachios in the USA. With limited monitoring strategies and no economic threshold developed, the use of broad-spectrum insecticides remains the primary control tactic for L. zonatus . In pursuit of more sustainable management options, e...

Using sown groundcovers as trap crops to protect a cash crop is a traditional pest management tool. Pistachio is a major crop in California's Central Valley, where high summer temperatures and little to no precipitation between May and November lead to summer dry-down of annual groundcover. Hemipteran pests that consist of 'small bugs' and 'large b...

The olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae , has been a key pest of olives in Europe and North America. We conducted the largest exploration for parasitoids associated with the fly across Sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya, Namibia, and South Africa) including some of the fly’s adjoining regions (Canary Islands, Morocco, Réunion Island and Tunisia). From Sub-Sah...

The olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae , has been a key pest of olives in invaded regions Europe and North America. We conducted the largest modern exploration for the fly’s co-evolved parasitoids across Sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya, Namibia, and South Africa) and some of the fly’s expanded regions (Canary Islands, China, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Réun...

Cocoa yields in Ghana remain low. This has variously been attributed to low rates of fertilizer application, pollinator limitation, and particularly dry growing conditions. In this paper we use an African forest-agriculture landscape dominated by cocoa (Theobroma cacao) to develop an ecological production function, allowing us to identify key ecolo...