Kent M. Daane
CE Insect Biology
Ph. D., University of California, Berkeley, 1988

Phone (559) 646-6522      FAX (559) 646-6593
E-mail: daane@uckac.edu

Department of ESPM, Division of Insect Biology
University of California, Berkeley

Areas of Specialty: 
Biological control of insect pests
Web sites:   http://daane.uckac.edu/
                     http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/biocon/
                 http://espm.berkeley.edu/divisions/ib.html

Research Statement
 My research focus is relatively straightforward: the development of ecologically based insect pest management systems. To achieve this goal, my research and extension activities have focused on the classical biological control of insect pests, augmentation programs (where beneficial insects are commercially mass-produced and released), insect-plant interactions, use of  least-disruptive insecticides and the biology of natural enemies.

Current Projects

Raisin, table, and wine grape projects form the greatest proportion of my research program. Each of California’s varied grape regions has different cultural practices, economic structures and pest problems providing an exciting challenge to develop programs that can be used for winegrape growers in Napa and table grape growers in the Coachella Valley. Most of the laboratory’s work is focused on mealybug pests, including the invasive vine mealybug. Closely connected to this project is development of sustainable ant controls, which use small amounts of liquid baits (sugar water) to control vineyard ant populations. In two collaborative vineyard projects, we are working with Dr. Nick Mills on changes in mite populations and with Dr. Rodrigo Almeida on the importance of leafroll viruses.

Sustainable agriculture for stone fruit (peaches, plum, and nectarines) has advanced during the past decade through the implementation of "pheromone confusion" and use of novel insecticides for moth pests. One of the last challenges is understanding biological control of a hard scale and a katydid, that flare up when other insecticide use is reduced. We are studying the biological controls of San Jose scale – including parasitoid biology.

Pistachios are a relatively new crop in California and, for many years, were not heavily attacked by insect pests. Today, a number of hemipteran (or true bug) and lepidopteran (moth) pests native to North America have discovered that pistachio leaves and fruit are quite tasty and part of my research program is directed towards these pests. Some of the same pests that attack pistachio also attack almond; for this reason, we are investigating the beneficial insect complexes of bug and moth pests in almonds.

A new research are for the laboratory concerns sharpshooters, such as the glassy-winged sharpshooter, and their role in the transmission of the bacterium that causes Pierce’s disease in grapes and almond leaf scorch in almonds.

A classical biological control program has been undertaken for the olive fly, a newly invasive species in California. We are collaborating with researchers in California, Hawaii, South Africa, and France by quarantine screening parasitoid species to determine their potential to control the olive fly. Field releases of some species have just begun.

Another classical biological control project is targeting pests of the lemon gum and spotted gum Eucalyptus, which are valued as ornamental trees in southern California. We have been importing and screening parasitoids of the spotted gum psyllid, a recently invasive species, which were recently collected in Australia.

Recent Publications

2008

Daane, K. M., Sime, K. R., Wang, X., Nadel, H., Johnson, M. W., Walton, V. M., Kirk. A., Pickett, C. H. 2008. Psyttalia lounsburyi (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), potential biological control agent for the olive fruit fly in California. Biological Control 44: 78-89.

Daane, K. M., Cooper, M. L., Triapitsyn, S. V., Andrews, J. W. Jr., and Ripa, R. 2008. Parasitoids of obscure mealybug, Pseudococcus viburni (Signoret) (Hem.: Pseudococcidae) in California vineyards: establishment of Pseudaphycus flavidulus (Brčthes) (Hym.: Encyrtidae) and discussion of reared parasitoid species. BioControl Science and Technology 18: 43-57.

Gutierrez, A. P., Daane, K. M., Ponti, L., Walton, V. M. and Ellis, C. K. 2008. Prospective evaluation of the biological control of vine mealybug: refuge effects and climate. Journal Applied Ecology 45: 524-536.

Daane, K. M., Cooper, M. L., Sime, K. R., Nelson, E. H. Battany, M. C., and Rust, M. K. Testing baits to control Argentine ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in vineyards. Journal Economic Entomology (in press)

Sime, K. R., Daane, K. M., Messing, R. H., Wang, X., and Johnson, M. W. 2008. Evaluation of Fopius arisanus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) as a biological control agent for the olive fruit fly in California. Agricultural and Forest Entomology (in press)

Fournier, V., Hagler, J. R., Daane, K. M., León, de, J. H., Groves, R. L., and Henneberry, T. J. Detection of Homalodisca vitripennis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) in the guts of invertebrate predators using DNA markers and a monoclonal antibody:  a field study. Oecologia (in press)

Cooper, M. L., Daane, K. M., Nelson, E. H., Varela, L. G., Battany, M. C., Tsutsui, N. D., and Rust, M. K. Liquid baits manage Argentine ants in coastal vineyards. California Agriculture (Accepted).

Daane, K. M., Cooper, M. L., Triapitsyn, S. V., Walton, V. M., Yokota, G. Y., Haviland, D. R., Godfrey, K. E., and Wunderlich, L. R. Mealybugs in California vineyards: seeking sustainable solutions for a changing pest complex. California Agriculture (Accepted).

Krugner, R. Johnson, M. W., Daane, K. M., and Morse, J. G. Olfactory responses of the egg parasitoid Gonatocerus ashmeadi Girault (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) to host plants infested by Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Biological Control (accepted, March 2008).

Liu, Y-B, Daane, K. M., Tebbets, S. J., and Bettiga, L. J. Ultralow oxygen treatment for control of black widow spiders on harvested table grapes. Journal of Economic Entomology (accepted, April 2008).

Wang, X., Nadel, H., Johnson, M. W., Daane, K. M., Hoelmer, K., Pickett, C. H., and Sime, K. R.  Crop domestication relaxes both top-down and bottom-up effects on a specialist herbivore. Journal of Applied and Basic Ecology (accepted, May 2008).

2007

Sime, K. R., Daane, K. M., Kirk, A., Andrews, J. W. Jr., Johnson, M. W., and Messing, R. H. 2007. Psyttalia ponerophaga (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) as a potential biological control agent for the olive fruit fly in California. Bulletin of Entomological Research 97(3): 233-242.

Krugner, R., Daane, K. M., Lawson, A. B., Yokota, G. Y. 2007. Temperature-dependent development of Macrocentrus iridescens (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) as a parasitoid of the obliquebanded leafroller (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae): Implications for field synchrony of parasitoid and host. Biological Control 42(2):110-118.

Orsini, M. A., Daane, K. M., Sime, K. R., and Nelson, E. H. 2007. Mortality of olive fruit fly pupae in California. Biocontrol Science and Technology 17(8): 797-807.

Nadel, H. Johnson, M. W., Gerik, M. and Daane, K. M. 2007. Ingestion of spinosad bait GF-120 and resulting impact on adult Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). BioControl Science and Technology 17(10): 995-1008.

Bruno A. Figadčre, B.A., McElfresh, J. S., Borchardt, D., Daane, K. M., Bentley, W. J., and Millar J. G. 2007. Trans-α-necrodyl isobutyrate, the sex pheromone of the grape mealybug, Pseudococcus maritimus. Tetrahedron Letters 48: 8434-8437.

Daane, K. M., Sime, K. R., Fallon, K., and Cooper, M. L. 2007. Impacts of Argentine ants on mealybugs and their natural enemies in California’s coastal vineyards. Ecological Entomology 32: 583-596.

Nelson, E. H., and Daane. 2007. Improving liquid bait programs for Argentine ant control: bait station density. Environmental Entomology 36(6): 1475-1484.

Siegel, J. P., Kuenen, L.P.S., Higbee, B. S., Noble, P., Gill, R., Yokota, G. Y., Krugner, R., and Daane, K. M. 2007. Postharvest survival of navel orangeworm assessed in pistachios. California Agriculture 62(1): 30-35.

Bentley, W. J., Beede, R. H., Daane, K. M., and Haviland, D. R. 2007. University of California IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Pistachio, Insects and Mites. University of California ANR Publication 3461.

2006

Sime, K. R., Daane, K. M., Nadel, H., Funk, C. S., Messing, R. H. Andrews, J. W. Jr., Johnson, M. W., and Pickett C. H. 2006.  Diachasmimorpha longicaudata and D. kraussii (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) potential parasitoids of the olive fruit fly. Biocontrol Science and Technology 16(2): 169-179.

Daane, K. M., Bentley, W. J., Walton, V. M., Malakar-Kuenen, R., Millar, J. G., Ingels, C. A., Weber, E. A., Gispert, C. 2006. New controls investigated for vine mealybug. California Agriculture 60(1): 31-38.

Sullivan, D. J., Daane, K. M., Sime, K. R., Andrews, J. W., Jr. 2006. Protective mechanisms for pupae of Psyllaephagus bliteus Riek (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), a Parasitoid of the Red Gum Psyllid Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore (Hemiptera: Spondyliaspididae). Australian Journal of Entomology 45: 101-105.

León, de, J. H., Fournier, V., Hagler, J. R., and Daane, K. M. 2006. Development of molecular diagnostic markers for sharpshooters Homalodisca coagulata and H. liturata (Homoptera: Cicadellidae: Prononiini) for use in predator gut content examinations. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 119: 109-119.

Fournier, V., Hagler, J. R., Daane, K. M., León, de, J. H., Groves, R. L., Costa, H. S., and Henneberry, T. J. 2006. Development and application of a glassy-winged and smoke-tree sharpshooter egg-specific predator gut content ELISA. Biological Control 37: 108–118.

Sime, K. R., Daane, K. M., Messing, R. H., and Johnson, M. W. 2006. Comparison of two laboratory cultures of Psyttalia concolor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) as parasitoid of the olive fruit fly. Biological Control 39: 248-255.

Daane, K. M., Sime, K. R., Hogg, B. N., Cooper, M. L., Bianchi, M. L., Rust, M. K., and Klotz, J. H. 2006. Evaluation of low dose insecticides on Argentine ant in California’s coastal vineyards. Crop Protection 25: 592-603.

Shapland, E. B., Daane, K. M., Yokota, G, Y., Wistrom, C., Connell, J. H., Duncan, R. A., and Viveros, M. A. 2006. Ground vegetation survey for Xylella fastidiosa in California almond orchards. Plant Disease 90: 905-909.

Walton, V. M., Daane, K. M., Bentley, W. J., Millar, J. G., Larsen, T. E., and Malakar-Kuenen, R. 2006. Pheromone-based mating disruption of Planococcus ficus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in California vineyards. Journal of Economic Entomology 99(4): 1280-1290.

Sime, K. R., Daane, K. M., Andrews, J. W. Jr., Hoelmer, K., Pickett, C. H., Nadel, H., Johnson, M. W., and Messing, R. H. 2006. The biology of Bracon celer as a parasitoid of the olive fruit fly. BioControl 51: 553-567.

Bentley, W. J., Varela, L. G., Zalom, F. G., Smith, R. J., Purcell, A. H., Phillips, P. A., Haviland, D. R., Daane, K. M., and Battany, M. C. 2006. University of California IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Grapes, Insects and Mites. Univ. Calif. Agricul. Natr. Rescr. Publ. 3448.

Johnson, M. W., and Daane, K. M. 2006. Olives: insect ecology and control, pp. 1-3. In D. Pimentel [ed.]. Encyclopedia of Pest Management. DOI: 10.1081/E-EPM-120041129. Taylor & Francis, NY.

Haviland, D., Beede, R. Godfrey, K. and Daane, K. 2006. Ferrisia gilli: A new mealybug pest of pistachios and other deciduous crops. Univ. Calif. Agricul. Natr. Rescr., Publ. 8203.

Johnson, M. W., and Daane, K. M. 2006. Olive insects: ecology and control, pp. 1-3. In Encyclopedia of Pest Management. DOI: 10.1081/E-EPM-120041129. Taylor & Francis, NY.