**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** GREEN LACEWINGS ARE IMPORTANT NATURAL ENEMIES OF CROP PESTS. THESE INSECT PREDATORS ARE RELEASED IN GREENHOUSES AND FIELDS TO CONTROL AGRICULTURAL PESTS INCLUDING APHIDS, WHITEFLIES, AND SCALE, AMONG OTHERS. PEST MANAGEMENT WITH LACEWINGS IS AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY WHICH IS THOUGHT TO BE MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE THAN PESTICIDE USE ALONE. HARNESSING THE NATURALLY OCCURRING ODORS PRODUCED BY LACEWINGS, THEIR HOST PLANTS, OR THEIR PREY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN GREEN LACEWINGS IN AND AROUND CROPS WHICH COULD IMPROVE PEST CONTROL EFFICIENCY AND DECREASE COST. THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP NEW METHODS TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN LACEWINGS IN CROPS. TO ACHIEVE THIS AIM WE WILL COLLECT AND IDENTIFY THE ODOR COMPOUNDS PRODUCED BY LACEWINGS THAT MAY ATTRACT THEM TO CROPS AND CHARACTERIZE GENES UNDERLYING ODOR PERCEPTION IN LACEWINGS. WE WILL THEN USE COMPUTER-BASED SIMULATION TO PREDICT AFFINITY BETWEEN ODOR COMPOUNDS AND ODOR RECEPTION GENES IN LACEWINGS, AN APPROACH THAT COULD ALLOW US NARROW IN THE ODOR COMPOUNDS MOST LIKELY TO WORK AS ATTRACTANTS. THE PROJECT BUILDS FOUNDATIONAL TOOLS AND INFORMATION ABOUT ODOR PRODUCTION AND RECEPTION IN LACEWINGS WHICH COULD INFORM BEST PRACTICES TO DEPLOY THESE BENEFICIAL INSECTS TO CONTROL PESTS.

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators