Lab members
  • Alejandro C. Costamagna
    Associate Professor / CV / Publications / Research ID / Ale.Costamagna@umanitoba.ca

    Research interests: Insect ecology in agricultural landscapes; Ecosystem services, Biodiversity and landscape structure; Insect dispersal; Predator-prey interactions; Trophic and guild interactions in multi-species assemblages; Bottom-up and top-down regulation; Trophic cascades; Biological control; Host plant resistance.

  • Cecil Montemayor Aizpurua
    Ph.D. Student / montemac@myumanitoba.ca

    Thesis project: Effect of flower strips on the diversity, abundance, and pest control service of natural enemies in field crops

    Research interests: Biological control of invasive species; Integrated pest management; Insect ecology in agricultural systems; Ecosystem services of natural enemies; Urban/Garden agricultural entomology; Insect organic crop management

  • Bridget White
    M.Sc. Student / whiteb2@myumanitoba.ca

    Thesis project: Improving spring wheat resistance to the orange wheat blossom midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) through hairs, awns and a novel response to the resistance gene, Sm1

    Research interests: Integrated pest management; Plant-insect interactions; Host plant resistance; Insect crop pest management; Biological control

  • Shayla Woodland
    M.Sc. Student / woodlans@myumanitoba.ca

    Thesis project: Effects of ground predators, abiotic factors and seeding rate on the flea beetles, Phyllotreta cruciferae (Goeze) and Phyllotreta striolata (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

    Research interests: Natural enemies of insect pests; Biological control; Predator-prey interactions; Economic thresholds of insect pests; Integrated pest management; Plant-insect interactions

  • Chaminda De Silva Weeraddana, Ph.D.
    Post Doctoral Fellow / CV / Google Scholar / LinkedIn / Chaminda.Weeraddana@umanitoba.ca

    Research project 1 (2018-2023): Pyramiding oviposition deterrence and Sm1 to control wheat midge

    The orange wheat blossom midge (wheat midge), Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin) is a serious insect pest of wheat-growing regions in Canada. The only resistance gene against wheat midge, Sm1, has been successfully incorporated into wheat. Extensive use of Sm1 in resistant wheat varieties increases selection pressure on natural wheat midge populations. Oviposition deterrence (OD) against wheat midge has been identified as a potential source of wheat midge resistance to overcome selection pressure. I screened wheat deterrent volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from various wheat lines and conduct insect behavioral assays. Identifying these deterrent VOCs will be used as molecular markers for wheat breeding programs and help to provide a sustainable control option for wheat midge.

    Research project 2 (2022-2023): Multiomics study of host-pest interactions and oviposition deterrence in wheat midge

    We will identify specific VOCs responsible for OD in different wheat varieties through a comprehensive survey of the volatilome. Candidate VOCs will be validated with a behavioural study on wheat midge. Analysis of VOCs is supported by The Metabolomics Innovation Centre (TMIC), University of Alberta. For this study, thermal desorption – comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography – time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TD-GC×GC-TOFMS) will be used to study the wheat volatilome.

    Research interests: Insect chemical ecology; Plant-insect interactions; Integrated pest management; Plant stress physiology; Biotic interactions; Natural product chemistry

  • Arash
    Arash Kheirodin, Ph.D.
    Former Ph.D. Candidate / Linkedin / kheiroda@myumanitoba.ca

    Thesis project: Effects of landscape structure on abundance of Cereal Leaf Beetle and its natural enemies, including the parasitoid Tetrastichus julis

    Research interests: Landscape ecology; Bottom up and top down control; Integrated pest management; Biological control; Molecular biology

  • Crystal Almdal
    Former M.Sc. Student / cdalmdal@gmail.ca

    Thesis project: Determining the role of crop and non-crop habitats to provide sustainable aphid suppression in soybeans

    Research Interests: Insect ecology; Landscape ecology; Biological control; Plant-animal interactions; Integrated pest management; Insect physiology; Aquatic ecology

  • Aldo Rios Martinez
    Former M.Sc. Student / Personal Website / aldorios@live.com

    Thesis project: Ecology of alate soybean aphids

    Research Interests: Evolutionary ecology of insects. Studied the effect of some environmental factors on wing development in the soybean aphid and the consequences of alate production on the fitness of soybean aphid colonies.

  • Ishan Samaranayake
    Former M.Sc. Student / LinkedIn / Personal Website / ishansamaranayake@yahoo.com

    Thesis project: Movement and impact of aphidophagous natural enemies in agricultural landscapes

    Research Interests: Landscape ecology; Biological control; Plant-animal interactions; Entomology; Herpetology; Wildlife conservation; Behavioural ecology of vertebrates; Forest landscape restoration; Urban biodiversity

  • Ahmed Abdelghany, Ph.D., P.Ag.
    Former Post Doctoral Fellow / Ahmed.Abdelghany@umanitoba.ca

    Research project: Wheat midge host plant resistance

    Research interests: Insect-plant interactions; Integrated pest management; Survey and sampling techniques; Pesticide toxicology and resistance; Chemicals that affect insect behavior; Physical control of stored-grain insects

  • Tharshi Nagalingam, Ph.D.
    Former Post Doctoral Fellow / Linkedin / kstlk2001@yahoo.com

    Research project: Integrated approaches for flea beetle control in canola in the Prairie Provinces of Canada

    Research interests: Insect-plant interactions; Insect population dynamics in managed systems; Economic thresholds of insect pests; Natural enemies of insect pests; Field crop pest management; Integrated pest management

  • Ramya Wijesundara
    Technician
  • Mandeep Kaur
    Technician