Kevin Thorpe
I conduct research on the management of two serious insect pests: the Colorado potato beetle, which attacks potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant, and the gypsy moth, which attacks hardwood trees in forests and residential areas. My research is focused on the development and testing of control methods ranging from physical barriers, such as the sticky trunk barrier shown in this photograph, to biological controls involving insect diseases, predators, and parasites, to the development of integrated pest management strategies that seek to minimize both economic pest damage and adverse impacts on the environment. Much of the gypsy moth research provides support for the national Slow the Spread of the Gypsy Moth program, which manages or monitors gypsy moth populations on over 90 million acres of forest from Wisconsin to North Carolina. I also conduct research on the development of pest management approaches for Sustainable Agricultural and Organic Farming systems.
Read some more about this project in the Agricultural Research Magazine.
Recent Publications:
- Thorpe, K. W., D. S. Leonard, V. C. Mastro, W. McLane, R. C. Reardon, P. Sellers, R. E. Webb, and S. E. Talley. Effectiveness of gypsy moth mating disruption from aerial applications of plastic laminate flakes with and without a sticking agent. Agricultural and Forest Entomology 2: 225-231.
- Thorpe, K. W., S. P. Cook, R. E. Webb, J. D. Podgwaite, and R. C. Reardon. 1999. Aerial application of the viral enhancer Blankophor BBH with reduced rates of gypsy moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) nucleopolyhedrovirus. Biological Control 16: 209-216.
- Thorpe, K. W., V. C. Mastro, D. S. Leonard, B. A. Leonhardt, W. McLane, R. C. Reardon, and S. E. Talley. 1999. Comparative efficacy of two controlled-release gypsy moth mating disruption formulations. Entomol. Exp. Appl. 90: 267-277.
- Thorpe, K. W. 1998. Relationship of gypsy moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) egg mass age to persistence and color, and an evaluation of two methods to distinguish new and old egg masses. Environ. Entomol. 27:1452-1462.
- Thorpe, K. W., J. D. Podgwaite, J. M. Slavicek, and R. E. Webb. 1998. Gypsy moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) control with ground-based hydraulic applications of Gypchek, in vitro-produced virus, and Bacillus thuringiensis. J. Econ. Entomol. 91: 875-880.
- Reardon, R. C., D. S. Leonard, V. C. Mastro, B. A. Leonhardt, W. McLane, S. Talley, K. W. Thorpe, and R. E. Webb. 1998. Using mating disruption to manage gypsy moth: a review. USDA, FS, FGTET-98-01.
- Vaughn, C. D., T. J. Straka, D. L. Ham, R. L. Hedden, and K. W. Thorpe. 1997. Costs associated with urban gypsy moth control by arborists: a case study. J. Arboriculture 23:173-180.
- Thorpe, K. W., R. L. Ridgway, and R. E. Webb. 1997. Effectiveness of diflubenzuron and Bacillus thuringiensis against gypsy moth populations. Northern J. Applied Forestry 14:135-140.
- Thorpe, K. W. 1996. Effects of ground-based applications of soap, Bacillus thuringiensis, cyfluthrin, and trunk barriers on gypsy moth density and defoliation. J. Arboriculture 22:87-91.
- Thorpe, K. W., K. M. Tatman, P. Sellers, R. E. Webb, and R. L. Ridgway. 1995. Management of gypsy moths using sticky trunk barriers and larval removal. J. Arboriculture 21:69-76.
- Liebhold, A. M., K. W. Thorpe, J. Ghent, and D. B. Lyons. 1994. Gypsy moth egg mass sampling for decision-making: a users' guide. USDA For. Serv. NA-TP-04-94.
- Thorpe, K. W. and R. L. Ridgway. 1994. Effects of trunk barriers on larval gypsy moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) density in isolated and closed-canopy oak trees. Environ. Entomol. 23:832-836.
- Thorpe, K. W., R. E. Webb, J. R. Aldrich, and K. M. Tatman. 1994. Effects of spined soldier bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) augmentation and sticky barrier bands on gypsy moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) density in oak canopies. J. Entomol. Sci. 29:339-346.
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