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Frances Sivakoff |
DAVIS--UC Davis Department of Entomology doctoral candidates Frances Sivakoff and Alex Van Dam are among eight University of California students sharing $95,000 as recipients of the 2010 Robert and Peggy van den Bosch Memorial Scholarships.
Frances Sivakoff, who studies with major professor Jay Rosenheim, won a scholarship for her work on the regional movement of the generalist pest, lygus. Her research was titled "Understanding the Relative Dispersal Ability of Lygus hesperus and Its Predators Using a Novel Large-Scale Mark-Capture Technique."
“In California’s Central Valley, Lygus hesperus is under poor biological control despite a suite of known predators,” Sivakoff said. “One possible explanation for this poor performance in the field is a discrepancy in the dispersal ability of the pest and its predators. To examine this directly, we perormed a large-scale mark-capture experiment where we marked L. hesperus and its predators in an alfalfa field using protein markers.”
Following the marking procedure, the grower harvested the alfalfa field, and this prompted a dispersal event. At several times following the harvest, Sivakoff and colleagues sampled surrounding cotton fields for L. hesperus and its predators, including big-eyed bugs (Geocoris spp.), damsel bugs (Nabis spp.), green lacewings (Chrysopa and Chrysoperla spp.), and convergent lady beetles (Hippodamia convergens).
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| This is the pest that Frances Sivakoff studies. Click to enlarge. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) |
This work, she said, "will quantify the relative dispersal ability of a key herbivore with its suite of generalist predators."
A native of Baltimore, Sivakoff received her bachelor of science degree in biology from the University of Maryland in 2005. She is a member of the UC Davis Graduate Group in Ecology
Alex Van Dam, whose major professor is Bernie May of the UC Davis Department of Animal Science, received a Robert and Peggy van den Bosch Memorial Scholarship for his research on a scale insect.
His project: “Investigating Host-associated Lineage Splitting within Dactylopius Using Molecular Phylogenetics.”
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Alex Van Dam |
Van Dam earlier this year received an award of $12,000 from the University of California Institute for Mexico and the United States (UC MEXUS), an academic research institute dedicated to encouraging, securing, and contributing to binational and Latino research and collaborative academic programs and exchanges.
A native of Los Angeles, Van Dam received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in entomology from UC Riverside.
The van den Bosch scholarship program funds work related to biological control, said coordinators Kent Daane and Nicholas Mills, co-directors of the Center for Biological Control, UC Berkeley. Eligible to apply for the annual scholarships are doctoral candidates from UC Davis, UC Berkeley and UC Riverside. Selection is by a panel of biocontrol faculty representing the three schools.
The other recipients of 2010 van den Bosch scholarships:
Albie Miles, UC Berkeley, for "Evaluating the Influence of Floral Resource Provisioning on Biological Control of Leafhoppers and Mealybugs in California Vineyards." Major professor: Miguel Altieri.
Steve Bayes, UC Berkeley, for "Determining the Population Structure of Navel Orangeworm (Amyelois transitella): an Invasive Agricultural Pest in California." Major professor: Steve Welter.
Jason Mottern, UC Riverside, for his work on molecular relationships within the parasitic wasp family, Aphelinidae. Major professor: John Heraty.
Jamie Gonzalez, UC Riverside, "Genetic Effects of Prolonged Mass Rearing on Trichogramma pretiosum Fitness: Inbreeding Depression and Selection for Adaptation the Mass Rearing Conditions." Major professor: Richard Stouthamer.
Casey D. Butler, UC Riverside, "Assessment of the Potential for Biological Control for Management of Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae)." Major professor: John Trumble.
Jennifer Henke, UC Riverside, for his work dealing with t secondary impacts on fish. Major professor: William Walton.
Past UC Davis Recipients
UC Davis Department of Entomology graduate students who have received the award since 2006 include:
2009:
Yao Hua Law, student of Jay Rosenheim
2008: Amanda Hodson,
student of Edwin Lewis; Yao Hua Law, student of Jay Rosenheim; and
Hillary Thomas, student of Frank Zalom
2006: Ken Spence, student of Jay Rosenheim |
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--Kathy Keatley Garvey
Communications specialist
UC Davis Department of Entomology
(530) 754-6894
