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Losey, John E.
Cornell Faculty Member
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Positions
- Associate Professor, Entomology (ENTOM), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)
My research, teaching and outreach interests all revolve around the management of insect populations. My program has two complementary foci the management of pest insect populations and the management of endangered or declining insect populations. I am very interested in the processes that make some insect species so numerous that they become pests while others decline so quickly that they become rare or even extinct. My goal is to educate my peers, my students, and the general public on the importance of insect biodiversity and conservation.
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Affiliations
Extension
has primary specialization area
Research
research overview
- 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.
research activities
area(s) of concentration/expertise
submitted impact statement
Publications
individual publications
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academic article
- Lessons from lady beetles: Accuracy of monitoring data from US and UK citizen science programs. . Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 10:471-476. 2012
- Method for Continuously Rearing Coccinella Lady Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Open Entomology Journal. 6:42-48. 2012
- Potential causes and consequences of decreased body size in field populations of Coccinella novemnotata. Biological Control. 61:98-103. 2012
- The Lost Ladybug Project: Citizen spotting surpasses scientist’s surveys. American Entomologist. 58:22-24. 2012
- The impact of Cry3Bb1 Bt-maize on two guilds of beneficial beetles. . Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 156:72-81. 2012
- Why is Harmonia axyridis the culprit in coccinellid biting incidents? An analysis of means, motive and opportunity.. American Entomologist. 58:166-170. 2012
- The role of environmental factors in the northeastern range expansion of Papilio cresphontes Cramer (Papilionidae).. Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society. 65:119-125. 2011
- Causes and consequences of ladybug washups in the Fingerlakes region of New York State (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Entomologica Americana. 116:78-88. 2010
- First Arizona records of the multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). The Coleopterists Bulletin. 64:51-52. 2010
- Genetics of color polymorphism in the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. Journal of Insect Science. 10. 2010
- Novel elytral-color forms of Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in North America. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 112:500-507. 2010
- Recent records of Adalia bipnctata (L.), Coccinella transversoguttata Richardsoni Brown, and Coccinella novemnotata Herbst (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) from South Dakota and Nebraska. . The Coleopterists Bulletin. 63:475-484. 2009
- Conserving the ecological services provided by insects. American Entomologist. 54:113-115. 2008
- Insect Conservation. American Entomologist. 54:96-97. 2008
- Post-dispersal weed seed predation is affected by experimental substrate. . Weed Science. 56:889-895. 2008
- Citizen scientist rediscovers rare nine spotted lady beetle, Coccinella novemnotata, in eastern North America. Journal of Insect Conservation. 11:415-417. 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. 40:230-236. 2007
- The decline of native coccinellids (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in the United States and Canada. Journal of Insect Conservation. 11:85-94. 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. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture. 30:5-26. 2007
- Efficacy of inoculative releases of Trichogramma ostriniae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) against European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in field corn. Biological Control. 36:345-349. 2006
- The economic value of ecological services provided by insects. BioScience. 56:311-323. 2006
- Comparison of sticky cards, visual and sweep sampling for assessment of coccinellid populations in alfalfa. Environmental Entomology. 33:535-539. 2004
- Absence of non-target effects of Bacillus thuringiensis coleopteran active endotoxins to the bulb mite, Rhizoglypus robini (Claperede) (Acari, Acaridae). Journal of Applied Entomology. 128:56-63. 2003
- Enumerating lepidopteran species associated with maize as a first step in risk assessment. Environmental Biosafety Research. 2:247-261. 2003
- Oviposition preference and larval performance of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) on two invasive swallow-wort species. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata. 108:205-209. 2003
- Transect sampling to enhance efficiency of corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) monitoring. Journal of Economic Entomology. 96:1420-1425. 2003
- First record of the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aphididae), in New York. Great Lakes Entomologist. 35:101-105. 2002
- Issues relating to the practical use of transgenic crops for insect pest management. New Zealand Plant Protection. 55:396-404. 2002
- The affect of stem diameter on European corn borer behavior and survival: Consequences for IRM in Bt-corn. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata. 105:89-96. 2002
- Altered behavior and distribution of pea aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Homoptera: Aphididae), infected with Pandora neoaphidus (Zugomycetes: Entomophthorales). BioControl. 46:337-343. 2001
- Assessing the impact of Cry1Ab-expressing corn pollen on monarch butterfly larvae in field studies. Proceedings at the National Academy of Science USA. 98:11931-11936. 2001
- Effects of corn plants and corn pollen on monarch butterfly oviposition behavior. Environmental Entomology. 30:495-500. 2001
- Evaluation of non-corn host plants as a refuge in a resistance management program for European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) on Bt-corn. Environmental Entomology. 30:728-735. 2001
- Transgenic insecticidal corn: Beyond insecticidal toxicity to ecological complexity. BioScience. 51:353-361. 2001
- Coleomegilla maculata DeGeer (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) predation on pea aphids promoted by proximity to dandelions. Oecologia. 125:543-548. 2000
- Implications of host-plant specialization for the potential colonization of vegetables following post-harvest emigration from forage crops. Environmental Entomology. 29:1283-1288. 2000
- Factors facilitating synergistic predation: The central role of synchrony. Ecological Applications. 9:378-386. 1999
- Transgenic pollen harms monarch larvae. Nature. 399:214. 1999
- Interspecific variation in the escape response of aphids: Effect on risk of predation from foliar-foraging and ground foraging predators. Oecologia. 115:245-252. 1998
- Positive predator-predator interactions: Enhanced predation rates and synergistic suppression of aphid populations. Ecology. 79:2143-2152. 1998
- The escape response of pea aphids to foliar-foraging predators: Factors affecting dropping behavior. Ecological Entomology. 23:53-61. 1998
- The role of vision and color in the close proximity foraging behavior of four coccinellid species. Oecologia. 115:287-292. 1998
- Maintenance of an aphid color polymorphism through a balance of parasitism and predation. Nature. 388:269-272. 1997
- Trichogramma pretiosum (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) oviposition and development in three age classes of southwestern corn borer eggs. Environmental Entomology. 26:385-390. 1997
- Habitat persistence underlies intraspecific variation in the dispersal strategies of planthoppers. Ecological Monographs. 66:389-408. 1996
- Evaluation of Trichogramma nubilale and Bacillus thuringiensis in management of Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in sweet corn. Environmental Entomology. 24:436-445. 1995
- Quality assessment of four commercially-available species of Trichogramma. Journal of Economic Entomology. 88:1243-1250. 1995
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booksection
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conference paper
- Reducing potato leafhopper (PLH) impacts on alfalfa through PLH-resistant cultivars intercropped with perennial forage grass. North Amer. Alfalfa Improv. Conf. 2008
- Soybean Aphid In NYS: An Update. Associated with the Northeast Branch of the Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting. 2004
- Within orchard movement of adulty Obliquebanded Leafrollers, Choristoneura rosaeana (Harris): Implications for the spread of insecticide resistance. 2000 Joint Annual Meeting, Societe d’entomologie du Quebec. 2000
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document part
- Geospatial analysis of seed removal rates and arthropod diversity and activity density in adjacent annual cropping studies. 359. 2006
- No. 156: Weed community dynamics in the system of rice intensification (SRI) and the efficacy of between-row cultivation and weed suppressive cultivars for weed control in Indonesia 2006
- No. 238: Effect of transgenic Bt corn on post-dispersal weed seed predation in the field. 69. 2004
- Oviposition selection and larval feeding by Monarch butterflies on two invasive swallow-wort species. 121. 2003
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report
- Wild Pollinators of Eastern Apple Orchards and how to conserve them. 2012
- Reducing Potato Leafhopper (PLH) Impacts on Alfalfa Through PLH-Resistant Cultivars Intercropped with Perennial Forage Grass 2008
- Agronomics and Economics of potato leafhopper (PLH)-resistant alfalfa intercropped with perennial forage grass for PLH control 2006
- 2003 New York State Soybean Variety Yield Tests 2004
- New York State Soybean Variety Yield Tests 2004
- New York State Soybean Variety Yield Tests in 2003 2004
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review
- The worm turns 2007
- Evaluation of Economic Injury Level, Biological Control, and Host Plant Resistance for Soybean Aphid in NY. In 2005-2006 New York State Integrated Pest Management Program Agriculture and Community IPM 2006
- Evaluation of economic injury level, biological control, and host plant resistance for soybean aphid in NY. 2004 Progress Report to the Northeast Soybean Promotion Board - 4/15/04 – 4/14/05. IN Annual Report 2004-05, The New York State Integrated Pest Management program, Agriculture and Community IPM 2005
- Improved Transect Sampling to Enhance Efficiency of Corn Rootworm Monitoring. In 2003 New York State Livestock and Field Crops Project Reports 2004
featured in archived article
- Careful with that bug! It's helping deliver $57 billion a year to the U.S., new Cornell study reports
- Cornell entomologists to be featured on CBS Sunday Morning, Sept. 9
- N.Y.'s state insect is all but lost, but foreign ones abound in NYC
- New York's state insect, the nine-spotted lady beetle, rediscovered in eastern U.S. after 14 elusive years
- Washington gives Cornell $2 million to enlist kids to find missing ladybugs
Teaching
teaching overview
- My teaching efforts focus on integrated pest management (IPM) and insect conservation biology. I see these two areas as logical complements to one another. Many of the same ecological principles and models are utilized in conservation biology and IPM - the main difference being the goals of the two endeavors. The IPM courses I teach deal primarily with the suppression of insect pest populations while the insect conservation biology course focuses on the preservation and facilitation of rare or endangered populations.
teaching activities
- CSS-4440: Integrated Pest Management - Spring 2013
- ENTOM-4440: Integrated Pest Management - Spring 2013
- ENTOM-7070: Individual Study for Graduate Students - Spring 2013
- ENTOM-7090: Teaching Entomology - Spring 2013
- ENTOM-8900: Master's Level Thesis Research - Spring 2013
- ENTOM-9900: Doctoral Level Thesis Research - Spring 2013
- BSOC-3441: Insect Conservation Biology - Fall 2012
- ENTOM-3440: Insect Conservation Biology - Fall 2012
- ENTOM-7070: Individual Study for Graduate Students - Fall 2012
- ENTOM-7090: Teaching Entomology - Fall 2012
- ENTOM-8900: Master's Level Thesis Research - Fall 2012
- ENTOM-9900: Doctoral Level Thesis Research - Fall 2012
- CSS-4440: Integrated Pest Management - Spring 2012
- ENTOM-4440: Integrated Pest Management - Spring 2012
- ENTOM-7070: Individual Study for Graduate Students - Spring 2012
- ENTOM-7090: Teaching Entomology - Spring 2012
- ENTOM-8900: Master's Level Thesis Research - Spring 2012
- ENTOM-9900: Doctoral Level Thesis Research - Spring 2012
- ENTOM-7070: Individual Study for Graduate Students - Fall 2011
- ENTOM-7090: Teaching Entomology - Fall 2011
- ENTOM-8900: Master's-Level Thesis Research - Fall 2011
- ENTOM-9900: Doctoral-Level Thesis Research - Fall 2011
Service
outreach overview
- In response to our own findings on the impact of agricultural practices on beneficial insects, their overall decline, and the lack of public appreciation of the importance of these we expanded our Lost Ladybug Project in 2008. In May 2008 the Lost Ladybug Project was awarded almost two million dollars from the National Science Foundation to expand this program in New York and then extend it to a national level. Our goals are to educate youth regarding the importance of biodiversity and conservation and to recruit them to participate in our "citizen science" program to determine the current status of native and exotic ladybugs in the US. Participants can make use of our educational materials and activities and then collect ladybugs in a defined area, take pictures of the ladybugs with digital cameras, and upload the pictures using a web-based interface for species identification and inclusion in a nationwide database. As “citizen scientists”, children and adults will be part of a real scientific experiment and contribute valuable information on these important beneficial insects. We have educated over 25,000 visitors to our webpage so far. In addition to numerous live presentations the project was featured on National Public Radio and an AP article that was carried in hundreds of newspapers around the country. We have so far received over 800 identifiable ladybug images including multiple images of the three rarest native species. This represents more records of those rare species then has been reported in refereed journals for over 20 years. In addition I organized the second annual Ladybug Blitz. Participants from as far as 50 miles away joined in the second annual ladybug blitz to collect ladybugs and learn about their diversity and importance to the local ecology can economy.
reviewer or editor for
Background
education and training
- Ph.D. in Entomology, University of Maryland 1996
- M.S. in Entomology, Pennsylvania State University 1992
- B.S. in Biology, Oberlin College 1986
Other
college
- CALS
name prefix
- Dr.