CRIS Project Title:Discovery of pest behavior-modifying chemicals with enhanced biological potency

Objectives:

Discover and develop new and efficacious behavior-modifying compounds having increased mating-disruption and attraction properties with emphasis on semiochemical research on Siberian moth, Dendrolimus superans sibiricus (Lasiocampidae), pickleworm Diaphania nitidalis (Pyralidae) and deer tick, Ixodes scapularis (Ixodidae).

Progress:

• Discovered potent synthetic sex attractant for the Siberian moth that is as attractive to males as are virgin females.
• Proved by reinvestigation of the pickleworm sex pheromone that compounds originally identified and verified as an attractant for the species are no longer effective. Previously, the synthetic blend was equivalent in attractiveness to virgin females. Pickleworm ovipositor stimuli from squash have been discovered. Flight tunnel studies show that females are attracted to the host plant and stimulated to ovipositor in response to plant borne stimuli.
• Prepared extracts of deer tarsal gland and dog hair for deer tick kairomone assays.

Plans:

• Support APHIS in deployment of 5,000 strategically located Siberian moth-monitoring traps baited with the new attractant. The male attractant will be used for insect monitoring throughout Asia and provide a first line of defense for protection of U. S. forests against this potentially devastating exotic pest. Determine minimum set of synthetic components found in the newly discovered Siberian moth sex attractant and formulate doses required for extended moth attraction. Determine the natural female sex pheromone of the Siberian moth through collaboration with Russian Academy of Sciences researchers, and conduct trapping tests across the Siberian moth geographic distribution to determine if the newly discovered sex attractant is equally effective over the insect's range.
• Conduct flight tunnel and field studies of responses of pickleworm males and females to chemically define its sex pheromone and response to host plant odor.
• Fractionate crude hair extracts of deer and dogs having kairomonal activity by chromatography to isolate compounds attractive to deer ticks.

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CRIS Project Title:Discover, synthesize, and develop attractants and behavior-modifying chemicals to manage insects

Objective:

Develop safer and more effective arthropod repellents.

Progress:

Developed new bioassay and test module (K & D module) for quantitative evaluation of arthropod repellent efficacy using human subjects. The new methods and apparatus provide a base for rapid and statistically powerful evaluation of candidate repellents in screening programs. Stereochemical effects of select insect repellents have been elucidated in two species of mosquitoes. Tests show that the potency of piperidine based repellent analogs can be significantly increased through control of the stereochemical composition. This discovery could lead to worldwide use of new arthropod repellents with enhanced effectiveness.

Plans:

Evaluate repellent stereoisomers against a wide range of blood sucking arthropod disease vectors assist the DoD to develop new and improved repellent formulations for troop protection, and develop a CRADA with an industry partner for development and registration of a new arthropod repellent.

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1. Yuri N. Baranchikov, Department of Forest Zoology, V. N. Sukachev, Institute of Forest, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences. Studies of natural sex pheromone of the Siberian moth.
2. James E. Carpenter, USDA, ARS, South Atlantic Area, Insect Biology and Population Management Lab., Tifton, GA. Identification of the cactus moth sex pheromone (an invasive pest insect) for use in population monitoring.
3. John Carroll, USDA, ARS, BA, Parasite Biology and Epidemiology Laboratory. Kairomones of the deer tick.
4. Russell E. Coleman, Department of Entomology, United States Army Medical Corps-AFRIMS, Bangkok, Thailand. Field and laboratory evaluation of candidate repellents in the far East against arthropod disease vectors.
5. Mustapha Debboun, United States Army (USA), Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD. Strategic Technology Objective research to develop an arthropod repellent.
6. Yousef Hijji, Chemistry Department, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD. Synthesis of Siberian moth sex attractant for APHIS and Forest Service.
7. Victor Mastro, USDA, APHIS, Otis, MA. Development and deployment of traps for Siberian moth.
8. Michael D. Jackson, USDA-ARS, Charleston, SC. Pickleworm pheromone testing. Iral Ragenovich, USDA, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Natural Resources Portland, OR. Optimization of Siberian moth sex attractant.
9. Ed Rowton, USA, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring. Investigation of repellent stereoisomers against sandflies.
10. Walter Schmidt, USA, ARS, BA, Natural Resources Institute. NMR studies of repellents.
11. Dan Strickman, USA, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring. Strategic Technology Objective research to develop an arthropod repellent for the Department of Defense.

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1961-65	Ph.D., Iowa State University, Ames; major, Entomology; minors, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry.
1959-61	B.S., University of Minnesota, Duluth; major, Zoology; minor, Chemistry. A.A., Ely Junior College, Ely, Minnesota.

1998-present	Research Entomologist, USDA, ARS, Beltsville, MD
1996-98	Supervisory Research Entomologist, USDA, ARS, Beltsville, MD
1977-96	Research Entomologist, USDA, ARS, Beltsville, MD
1965-77	Research Entomologist, USDA, ARS, Ankeny, IA. Research Assistant, Iowa State University, Ames, IA

• Klun, J. A. and W. Schmidt. Enhancement of the repellent effects of piperidine analogs against blood-sucking arthropods through optimization of stereochemical asymmetry. U. S. Government Patent Disclosure, Docket No. 0091.00.