Consuelo De Moraes, Ph.D.

Current Graduate Students:

Beth Irwin - New graduate student Fall 2007
Kerry Mauck - New graduate student Fall 2006
Lori Shapiro - New graduate student Spring 2007
Jordan Smith - New graduate student Fall 2007

Current Post-Doctoral Associates

Jennifer Dean - Recipient of Penn State College of Ag Sciences student grant proposal 2005; President's Prize Student Competition Award, Entomological Society of America 2005 National meeting: Second Place (oral presentation) Section FA; recipient of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship 2004
John Tooker - recipient of the Entomological Foundation's Henry & Sylvia Richardson Research Grant for 2005
Chris Frost - Recipient of Penn State College of Ag Sciences seed grant (2005)
Link to: Center for Chemical Ecology

Department Focus Areas:

Chemical Ecology

Research Interests :

Tritrophic interactions, biological control, plant signaling, plant insect interactions, plant defenses

Research Activities & Interests:

My research focuses on chemically mediated ecological interactions among plants, herbivores, and parasitoids. I am primarily interested in illuminating the critical role of chemical communication in ecological interactions across trophic levels. Among the most significant features of tritrophic systems are defensive responses of plants to insect feeding, including the production and release of volatile compounds that mediate chemical communication among plants and between plants and the natural enemies of insect herbivores. My research efforts are aimed at understanding the ecological dynamics of plant signaling and ultimately at unraveling the influences of chemically mediated communication on community structure and dynamics.

Relevant Publications:

Runyon, J.B., M.C. Mescher, and C.M. De Moraes. 2008. Parasitism by Cuscuta pentagona attenuates host plant defense of insect herbivores. Plant Physiology 146:987-995. (pdf file)

Frost, C.J., M.C. Mescher, J.E. Carlson, and C.M. De Moraes. 2008. Plant defense priming against herbivores: getting ready for a different battle. Plant Physiology 146:818-824. (pdf file)

Tooker, J.F., J.R. Rohr, W.G. Abrahamson, and C.M. De Moraes. 2008. Gall insects can evade and alter indirect plant defenses. New Phytologist 178:657-672.

Tooker, J.F. and C.M. De Moraes. 2008. Gall Insects and Indirect Plant Defenses: A Case of Active Manipulation? Plant Signaling & Behavior 3(7):503-504.

Frost, C.J., M.C. Mescher, J.E. Carlson, and C.M. De Moraes. 2008. Why do distance limitations exist on plant-plant signaling via airborne volatiles? Plant Signaling and Behavior 3(7):466-468

Frost, C.J., M.C. Mescher, C. Dervinis, J.M. Davis, J.E. Carlson, and C.M. De Moraes. 2008. Priming defense genes and metabolites in hybrid poplar by the green leaf volatile cis-3-hexenyl acetate. New Phytologist- in press

Delphia, C.M., J.R. Rohr, A.G. Stephenson, C.M. De Moraes, and M. C. Mescher. 2008. Effects of genetic variation and inbreeding on volatile production in a field population of horsenettle. International Journal of Plant Sciences - in press

Runyon, J.B., J.F. Tooker, M.C. Mescher, and C.M. De Moraes. 2008. Parasitic plants in agriculture: chemical ecology of germination and host-plant location as targets for sustainable control. Advances for Sustainable Agriculture - in press.

Verheggen, F.J., M.C. Mescher, E. Haubruge, C.M. De Moraes and E.G. Schwartzberg. 2008. Emission of Alarm Pheromone in Aphids: a Non-Contagious Phenomenon. Chemical Ecology - in press.

Frost, C.J., M. Appel, J.E. Carlson, C.M. De Moraes, M.C. Mescher, and J.C. Schultz. 2007. Within-plant signaling via volatiles overcomes vascular constraints on systemic signaling and primes responses against herbivores. Ecology Letters 10:490-498. (pdf file)

Magbanua, Z.V., C.M. De Moraes, T.D Brooks, W.P. Williams, and D.S. Luthe. 2007. Is catalase activity one of the factors associated with maize resistance to Aspergillus flavus? Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions 20:697-706. (pdf file)

Delphia, C.M., M.C. Mescher, and C.M. De Moraes. 2007. Induction of plant volatiles by herbivores with different feeding habits and the effects of induced defenses on host-plant selection by thrips. Journal of Chemical Ecology 33:997-1012. (pdf file)

Tooker, J.F. and C.M. De Moraes. 2007. Feeding by Hessian fly Mayetiola destructor (Say) larvae does not induce plant indirect defences. Ecological Entomology 32:153-161. (pdf file)

Tooker, J.F. and C.M. De Moraes. 2007. Jasmonate, salicylate, and benzoate in insect eggs. Journal of Chemical Ecology 33:331-343. (pdf file)
Runyon, J. B., M. C. Mescher, and C. M. De Moraes. 2006 Volatile chemical cues guide host location and selection by parasitic plants. Science 313: 1964-1967 (pdf file)

Ferrari, M. J., A. G.Stephenson, M. C. Mescher and C. M. De Moraes. 2006. Inbreeding effects on blossom volatiles in Curcubita pepo ssp. Texana. American Journal of Botany. 93: 1768-1774 (pdf file)

Delphia, C. M., M. C. Mescher, G. W. Felton and C. M. De Moraes. 2006. The role of insect-derived cues in eliciting indirect plant defenses in tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum. Plant Signaling & Behavior 1: 243-250 (pdf file)

Dean, J.M. and De Moraes, C. M. 2006 Effects of Genetic Modification on Herbivore-Induced Volatiles from Maize. Journal of Chemical Ecology (pdf file)

Tooker, J.F. and C.M. De Moraes. 2005. Jasmonate in Lepidoptera eggs and neonates. Journal of Chemical Ecology. 31(11): 2753-2759 (pdf file)

De Moraes, C.M. and M.C. Mescher. 2005. Intrinsic competition between larval parasitoids with different degrees of host specificity. Ecological Entomology. 30: 1-7. (pdf file)

De Moraes, C.M. and M.C. Mescher. 2004. Biochemical crypsis in the avoidance of natural enemies by an insect herbivores . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 101: 8993-8997 (pdf file)

De Moraes, C.M., J.C. Schultz, M.C. Mescher and J.H. Tumlinson. 2004. Induced plant signaling and its implications in sensor technology. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A. 67: 819-834. (pdf file)

De Moraes, C.M., M.C. Mescher and J.H. Tumlinson, 2001. Caterpillar-induced nocturnal plant volatiles repel conspecific females. Nature. 410: 577-580. (pdf file) News and Views (pdf file)

De Moraes, C.M., W.J. Lewis, and J.H. Tumlinson. 2000. Examining plant-parasitoid interactions in tritrophic systems. An. Soc. Entomol. Brasil. 29(2): 189-203.

De Moraes, C.M and W.J. Lewis, 1999. Analyses of two parasitoids with convergent foraging strategies. Journal of Insect Behavior. 12:571-583. (pdf file)

De Moraes, C.M., A.M. Cortesero and W.J. Lewis. 1999. Intrinsic and extrinsic competitive interactions between two larval parasitoids of Heliothis virescens. Ecological Entomology. 24:1-9. (pdf file)

De Moraes, C.M., W.J. Lewis, P.W. Paré and J.H. Tumlinson, 1998. Herbivore infested plants selectively attract parasitoids. Nature. 393:570-574.(pdf file)

Suarez, A.V., C.M. De Moraes and A. Ippolito, 1998. Defense of Acacia collinsii by obligate and non-obligate ant species: the significance of encroaching vegetation. Biotropica. 30(3): 480-482

Cortesero, A.M., C.M. De Moraes and W.J. Lewis, 1997. Comparison and contrasts in the host-foraging strategies of two larval parasitoids with different degrees of host specificity. Journal of Chemical Ecology. 23: 1589-1606. (pdf file)

Stapel, J.O., A.M. Cortesero, C.M. De Moraes and W.J. Lewis, 1997. Importance of extrafloral nectary on the food- and host-searching behavior of Microplitis croceipes (Hymenoptera:Braconidae). Environmental Entomology. 26:617-623.

Public Impact (press coverage)

- Loyal to its roots. Carol Kaesuk Yoon New York Times. June 3, 2008.
- This plant has the sense of smell (loves tomatoes, hates wheat). Henry Fountain New York Times. Oct. 3, 2006.
- Science Notebook. David Brown, Washington Post. Oct. 2, 2006.
- Prey's perfume. Sarah Everts, Chemical and Engineering News. Oct.2, 2006.
- Scent stalking: parasitic vine grows toward tomato odor. Science News. Sept. 30, 2006.
- Science in Action, BBC World Service Radio Interview. Sept. 29, 2006.
- Parasitic weed uses chemical cues to find host plant. Science. Sept. 29, 2006.
- Parasitic weed sniffs out prey, study says. Sean Markey, National Geographic News. Sept. 29, 2006.
- Parasitic weed seems to smell its prey. ABC News.com. Sept. 29, 2006.
- Leading Edge, BBC Radio 4 Interview. Sept 28, 2006.
- All Things Considered, NPR Radio Interview. Sept 28, 2006.
- Weed with a nose. Alan Boyle, NBC Video. Sept. 28, 2006.
- Picky Eater (Amanda Yarnell). Chemical and Engineering News. June, 2004.
- Unusual diet helps caterpillars. Washington times. June, 2004.
- Choice of food helps hungry caterpillars. Innovations report. June, 2004.
- Finicky caterpillars. (wire reports). Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June, 2004.
- Choice of food helps caterpillars (Andrea Messer). PennState news. June, 2004.
- Talking Trees. (C. Berger). Odyssey Adventures in science. March, 2003.
- Talking plants. (S. Russell). Discover Magazine, 47-51. April, 2002.
- Stay Away from Tobacco (Heather Van Daren). Natural History. October, 2001.
- Making crops cry for help (John Whitfield). Nature. Vol 410:736-737.
- A shield of Green (Virginia Gewin), The Oregonian. Aug 15, 2001.
- Feeding off nighttime attacks. Washington Post. April 15, 2001.
- Plant signal friends, foes with scents that change as day turns to night. Chemical and Engineering News. April 2, 2001.
- Les subtiles leçons de lutte biologique des végétaux contre les prédateurs. Le Monde. France. April 6, 2001.
- La plante qui appelle au secours. La Science. April 3, 2001
- Nocturnal emissions repel moths. Nature (science update). March 29, 2001.
- Leaf me Alone (John Whitfield). Nature (science update). March 29, 2001.
- Plants thwart pests by sending out chemical distress signals (Elliott Minor). January 28, 1999.
- Um perfume para cada inimigo. Super Interessante, 123:14-15. March, 1998.
- BBC and NPR report on De Moraes et al., 1998: "Herbivore infested plants selectively attract parasitoids".
- Plant-Insect communication. The IPM Practitioner, vol XX, (5/6). May /June, 1998.
- It's chemistry : pestered plants cry for help to bring "good bugs" to their aid. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, A8. June 13, 1998.
- Les plantes s'auto-defendant. (Julie Lasterade), Siberation. June 23, 1998.
- Le radar chimique des quepes. (Yves Miserey), Libertade. June 23, 1998.
- Plants send SOS when caterpillars bite. (Jan Suszkiw), Agricultural Research. October, 1998.
- Plants and Wasps nip bad bugs in the bud. (Laura Wexler), Georgia Magazine, vol 77(4):11. 1998.
- Quand les plantes passent a la contre-ataque. (Sophie Coisne), Science e Vie Junior, vol 109. October, 1998.
- Fine-tuned plant response to insect attack. (C. Milot), Science News, 152: 391. December 1997.

HONORS AND AWARDS

Perry Adkisson Distinguished Speaker Award, Texas A&M University (2008); National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2007-12); Sawicki Lecture honored speaker, Rothamstead Research, England; Community of Teaching Excellence Award, Pennsylvania State University (2007); DuPont Young Professor Award (2006-09); Emerald Awards (2005); Beckman Institute Fellow, Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation (2003); USDA Certificate of Merit for outstanding performance for the USDA-ARS-CMAVE (2003);USDA Certificate of Merit for outstanding performance for the USDA-ARS-IBPMRL (1999); Outstanding Ph.D. student award, Dept. of Entomology, University of Georgia (1998); President’s Prize Student Competition Award, Entomological Society of America National meeting: First Place Section CD (1998); U. E. Brady Award for Best Poster, Georgia Entomological Society annual meeting (1998); President’s Prize Student Competition Award, Entomological Society of America: National TN Honorable Mention, MENSA Essay Competition: First Place (1997); E. Broadus Browne Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award (best Ph.D. student in the College of Agriculture), University of Georgia (1996);U.E. Brady Award for best poster, Georgia Entomological Society annual meeting (1996);H.O. Lund Poster Competition: First Place, University of Georgia (1996); MENSA Essay Competition: First Place (1995);International fellowship, American Association of University Women (1993-94);Ranked second among all students taking the general admission exam in Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil (1988).