Research topics: Insect behavior and ecology, integrated pest management, biological control
Research program: The major areas of my research interest are integrated pest management and applied insect ecology. Presently, humans possess a vast arsenal of different pest-control techniques, ranging from synthetic insecticides to natural enemies, and from transgenic plants to quarantine regulations. What is lacking, however, is a good understanding of the ecological consequences of their implementation for both target and non-target organisms. When a particular action is taken, whether it is an insecticide application, planting of a transgenic cultivar, or release of a biological control agent, it is imperative that we can forecast the sequence(s) of events it might trigger. Limited-scale toxicological and host-range assays, still commonly used for decision-making, often do not reflect actual developments in the field. As a scientist, I hope that my research will contribute to building a knowledge-based foundation for predicting effects of human intervention in insect communities. Specifically, I am interested in various aspects of insect movement, dispersal, and migration, especially as they relate to the management of economically important potato pests. I am also interested in more theoretical aspects of invasion biology, with an emphasis on the ecology of exotic organisms deliberately introduced to a new location by humans. For more information on my research interests and background, please visit our laboratory's Web site (http://www.umit.maine.edu/~andrei_alyokhin).
Selected Publications
Alyokhin, A., G. Sewell, and E. Groden. 2002. Aphid abundance and potato virus Y transmission in imidacloprid-treated potatoes. American Journal of Potato Research 79: 255-262.
Alyokhin, A. V., P. Yang, and R. H. Messing. 2001. Distribution and parasitism of two-spotted leafhopper eggs (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) in Hawaii. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 94: 664-669.
Alyokhin, A. V., R. H. Messing, and J. J. Duan. 2001. Utilization of the exotic weed Pluchea odorata (Asteraceae) and related plants by the introduced biological control agent Acinia picturata (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Hawaii. Biocontrol Science and Technology 11: 711-718.
Alyokhin, A. V., C. Mille, R. H. Messing, and J. J. Duan. 2001. Selection of pupation habitats by Oriental fruit fly larvae in the laboratory. Journal of Insect Behavior 14: 57-67.
Alyokhin, A. V, R. H. Messing, and J. J. Duan. 2000. Visual and olfactory stimuli and fruit maturity affect trap captures of Oriental fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae). Journal of Economic Entomology 93: 644-649.
Alyokhin, A.V. and D. N. Ferro. 1999. Electrophoretic confirmation of sperm mixing in mated Colorado potato beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 92: 230-235.
Alyokhin, A. V. and D. N. Ferro. 1999. Modifications in flight and oviposition of Bt-resistant and Bt-susceptible Colorado potato beetles as a result of exposure to Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. tenebrionis Cry3A toxin. Entomologia Experementalis et Applicata 90: 93-101.
Other publications from this laboratory