John Losey
Associate Professor
jel27@cornell.edu

IPM, agroecology, biological control, insect conservation biology

My program has two complementary foci the management of pest insect populations and the management of endangered or declining insect populations. My program in pest management focuses on the ecological impacts of transgenic crops for insect control. Since I specialize in field crops, I have narrowed that focus further to Bt-corn including both Btk (for lepidopteran pests) and Btt (for coleopteran pests). Ecological impacts can include both impacts on the target pest population (eg resistance) and impacts on nontarget organisms (eg monarchs and beneficial beetles). My research with Bt-corn focuses on evaluating these problems and identifying potential solutions. One group of beneficial beetles that may be impacted by Btt corn is the coccinellidae or lady beetles. This group includes many predators that are vital for the suppression of pest populations. Unfortunately, many of the most common lady beetles native to the United States are in precipitous decline. My research in insect conservation biology focuses on the assessment of the current status of both native and exotic lady beetles and the determination of the impact of recent trends in the composition of lady beetle species (e.g. a higher proportion of exotic species and individuals) on the ability of this group to suppress pest populations.

ENTOM 3440 Insect Conservation Biology
ENTOM 4440 Integrated Pest Management

• Finkbeiner, S.D., R.D. Reed, R. Dirig,and J. E. Losey.   2011.  The role of environmental factors in the Northeastern range expansion Papilio cresphontes Cramer (Papilionidae).  Journal of the Lepidopterist Society 65:119-125.
• Hesler, L.S., K. Fothergill, K.V. Tindall , and J. E. Losey.  2010. Novel elytral-color forms of Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in North America.  Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 112:500-507
• Denemark, E., and J.E. Losey.  2010. Causes and consequences of ladybug washups in the Fingerlakes region of New York State (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae).  Entomologica Americana.  116:78-88
• Fothergill, K. W. Moore, J. Losey, L. L. Allee and R. R. Smyth.  2010.  First Arizona records of the multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). The Coleopterists Bulletin  64 (1): 51-52.
• Caillaud MC, Losey JE. 2010. Genetics of color polymorphism in the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. Journal of Insect Science 10:95, available online: insectscience.org/10.95  (Open source; no hard copy)
• Hesler, L.S., M.A. Cantangui, J.E. Losey, J. B. Helbig and A. Mesman.  2009.  Recent records of Adalia bipnctata (L.), Coccinella transversoguttata Richardsoni Brown, and Coccinella novemnotata Herbst (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) from South Dakota and Nebraska. The Coleopterists Bulletin, 63(4):475–484. 2009.
• Losey, J. and M. Vaughan. 2008. Conserving the ecological services provided by insects. American Entomologist 54: 113-115.
• Vaughan, M., F. Kuehn, J. Losey, and S. Black. 2008. Conservation of insects. 54: 96-97.
• Shuler, R.E., A. DiTommaso, J.E. Losey, and C.L. Mohler. 2008. Postdispersal weed seed predation is affected by experimental substrate. Weed Science 56: 889-895.
• Losey, J.E., J.E. Perlman, and R. Hoebeke. 2007. Citizen scientist rediscovers rare nine-spotted lady beetle, Coccinella novemnotata, in eastern North America. Journal of Insect Conservation. 04 March 2007 (10.1007/s10841-007-9077-6).
• Fuchsberg, J.R., T.-H. Yong, J.E. Losey, M.E. Carter, and M.P. Hoffmann. 2007. Evaluation of corn leaf aphid (Rhopalosiphum maidis; Homoptera: Aphididae) honeydew as a food source for the egg parasitoid Trichogramma ostriniae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). Biological Control 40(2): 230-236.
• Hayden, V.R., J.M. Duxbury, A. DiTommaso, and J.E. Losey. 2007. Weed Community Dynamics in the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and the Efficacy of Mechanical Cultivation and Competitive Rice Cultivars for Weed Control in Indonesia. J. Sustainable Ag. 30:5-26.