Judith Myers

Emerita

My research interests include the theory and practice of biological control of insects and plants, population ecology of insects, ecology of invasive plants and the ecological and evolutionary factors influencing Bt resistance and NPV dynamics

 

Research interests

  1. Populations of western tent caterpillars in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia fluctuate with peaks occurring every 6 to 11 years. We have been studying the characteristics associated with these fluctuations and in particular the role of infection by nucleopolyhedrovirus in the host population dynamics. We are embarking on a genetic study of populations to determine the role of gene flow in maintaining synchrony among populations.
  2. Recent success in the biological control of diffuse knapweed has stimulated interest in how the various biological control agents interact and if the last insect to be widely established, a weevil, would have been sufficient on its own. We have established experimental cages in areas near Okanagan Falls in which diffuse knapweed has reinvaded following fire. Our goal is to be able to better predict what makes successful biological control agents.
  3. Populations of cabbage loopers in vegetable green houses sometimes become resistant to a commonly used microbial control, Dipel or Bacillus thuringiensis. We have been studying the cost of resistance, the genetic control of resistance, and the mechanisms that influence resistance to understand coevolutionary interactions between the disease and the host and to make recommendations to growers for resistance management.
Spinosyns interact synergistically with the insect pathogen Metarhizium anisopliae against lined click beetle larvae, Agriotes lineatus
J. Econ. Entomol. (In Press 9/25/06)
Ericsson, J.D., J. Todd Kabaluk, Mark S. Goettel, Judith H. Myers
2006
The influences of host plant and genetic resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis on trade-offs between offspring number and growth rate in cabbage loopers, Trichoplusia ni
Ecological Entomology 31: 172-178
Janmaat AF, Myers JH
2006
Lest we forget: Women entomologists, population cycles and biological control – Legacies from the past with importance to the future
Bull. Canadian Entomol. Soc. 37: 4-9
Myers, J.H
2005
The cost of resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis varies with the host plant of Trichoplusia ni
Proc. Royal Soc. London B. 272:1031-38
Janmaat, A.F. and J.H. Myers
2005
Variable success of biological control of Lythrum salicaria in British Columbia
Biological Control 32:269-279
Dennoth, M. and J.H. Myers
2005
Adaptation in an insect-host plant-pathogen interaction
Ecology Letters. 7: 632-639
Cory, J.S. and JH Myers
2004
Inheritance of resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac toxin in a greenhouse-derived strain of cabbage looper (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
J. Econ. Entomol. 97: 000-000
Kain, W.C., Zhao, J-Z, Janmaat, A.F., Myers, J.H., Shelton, A.M. Wang, P
2004
Interactions between ground beetles, winter moth and an introduced parasitoid on the lower mainland of British Columbia
Pedobiologia 48: 23-35
Horgan, Finbarr and J.H. Myers
2004
Cabbage looper resistance to a nucleopolyhdrovirus confers cross-resistance to two granuloviruses
Environmental Entomology 32: 286–289
Milks, M.L. and J.H. Myers
2003
Hierarchical spatial structure of genetically variable nucleopolyhedroviruses infecting cyclic populations of western tent caterpillars
Molecular Ecology 12(4)
Cooper, D., Cory, J.S. and J.H. Myers
2003