Michael S. Wolfin
- Assistant Research Professor
University Park, PA 16802
- Email mvw5315@psu.edu
Areas of Expertise
- Insect Behavior
- Chemical Ecology
- Insect-Host Interactions
- Integrated Pest Management
- Mushroom Pest Management
Websites
Education
- B.S., Biology, SUNY Cortland (2011)
- B.S., Chemistry, SUNY Cortland (2011)
- Ph.D., Entomology, Cornell University (2017)
Research focus:
The main goals of my research program are to understand the driving forces involved in insect behavior, and to use this behavioral information to develop effective and novel methods of control for pests of our crops. Insect behavior is mediated by the insect's detection of the physical world around them. In my lab, we isolate and identify key stimuli driving insect behavior, and manipulate those stimuli to affect insect behavior. My current projects focus on developing integrated pest management solutions for mushroom flies on mushroom farms.
Extension focus:
The goal of my extension program is to translate and transfer the results of my applied research to all my stakeholders. Stakeholder groups include mushroom growers, residents affected my mushroom pest invasions, and elected officials representing both mushroom growers and residents. My extension activities include monthly visits to mushroom farms in Berks and Southeastern Chester County, authoring extension publications and fact sheets, hosting and attending monthly community and industry meetings, planning and participating in industry workshops, operating the Mushroom Fly Hotline, and hosting annual public presentations of my progress (2020, 2021, 2022).
My applied research and extension efforts have been featured by Penn State in press releases, and in various news and industry publications worldwide including Lancaster Farming, Mushroom News, Chester County Press, and Australian Mushrooms.
Interested in exploring your interests in insect behavior, chemical ecology, and integrated pest management? Send me an email. I'm looking for undergraduate research assistants, graduate students, and postdocs!
Publications
Flight duration capabilities of dispersing adult spotted lanternflies, Lycorma delicatula
Journal of Insect Behavior, Wolfin, Michael, Myrick, A, Baker, Tom, 2021
Conventional Soil Management May Promote Nutrients That Lure an Insect Pest to a Toxic Crop
Environmental Entomology, Schmidt-Jeffris, Rebecca A., Moretti, Erica A., Wickings, Kyle, Wolfin, Michael S., Northfield, Tobin D., Linn, Charlie E., Nault, Brian A., 2021
Visual Responses of Flight-Dispersing Spotted Lanternflies, Lycorma delicatula toward a Tall Vertical Silhouette in a Vineyard
Journal of Insect Behavior, Baker, T. C., Myrick, A. J., Wolfin, M. S., Wang, Y., 2021
Habitat cues synergize to elicit chemically mediated landing behavior in a specialist phytophagous insect, the grape berry moth
Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, Wolfin, Michael S., Chilson, Ronald R., Thrall, Jonathan, Liu, Yuxi, Volo, Sara, Cha, Dong H., Loeb, Gregory M., Linn, Charles E., 2020
Flight Duration Capabilities of Dispersing Adult Spotted Lanternflies, Lycorma delicatula
Journal of Insect Behavior, Wolfin, Michael S., Myrick, Andrew J., Baker, Thomas Charles, 2020
Proximate Mechanisms of Host Plant Location by a Specialist Phytophagous Insect, the Grape Berry Moth, Paralobesia Viteana
Journal of Chemical Ecology, Wolfin, Michael S., Chilson, Ronald R., Thrall, Jonathan, Liu, Yuxi, Volo, Sara, Cha, Dong H., Loeb, Gregory M., Linn, Charles E., 2019
Flight Dispersal Capabilities of Female Spotted Lanternflies (Lycorma delicatula) Related to Size and Mating Status
Journal of Insect Behavior, Wolfin, Michael S., Binyameen, Muhammad, Wang, Yanchen, Urban, Julie M., Roberts, Dana C., Baker, Thomas C., 2019
Plants, microbes, and odorants involved in host plant location by a specialist moth: who's making the message?
Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, Wolfin, Michael S., Volo, Sara L., Chilson, Ronald R., Liu, Yuxi, Cha, Dong H., Cox, Kerik D., Loeb, Gregory M., Linn, Charles E., 2019
Context dependency of in-flight responses by Manduca sexta moths to ambient differences in relative humidity
Journal of Experimental Biology, Wolfin, Michael S., Raguso, Robert A., Davidowitz, Goggy, Goyret, Joaquin, 2018
Robust manipulations of pest insect behavior using repellents and practical application for integrated pest management
Environmental Entomology, Wallingford, Anna K., Cha, Dong H., Linn, Charles E., Wolfin, Michael S., Loeb, Gregory M., 2017
Collectively facilitated behavior of the neonate caterpillars of Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)
Insects, Fitzgerald, Terrence D., Wolfin, Michael, Young, Ryan, Meyer, Katelyn, Fabozzi, Elizabeth, 2016
Trail marking by larvae of the cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum
Journal of Insect Science, Fitzgerald, Terrence D., Wolfin, Michael, Rossi, Frank, Carpenter, James E., Pescador-Rubio, Alfonso, 2014
Trail marking by the larvae of the cactus moth Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepideptera: Pyralidae)
Journal of Insect Science, Fitzgerald, Terrance, Wolfin, Michael, Rossi, Frank, Carpenter, James, Pescador-Rubio, Alfonso, 2014
