John Tooker Lab
Plant-Insect Interactions in Agroecosystems
We study relationships among plants, insect herbivores, and natural enemies to understand factors that regulate populations of herbivorous insects. We are interested in both plant- and natural-enemy-mediated factors and how they influence insect behavior, community composition, and herbivore mortality. Our long-term goal is to exploit the ecology/biology of our study organisms to provide strategies and tactics for more sustainable insect pest management.
Lab News
December 11, 2023
Research finds that gall-inducing wasps have enlarged venom glands
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November 30, 2023
Tooker featured on The AgEmerge Podcast
Tooker joined the podcast to talk about conservation-based farming and integrated pest management
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November 30, 2023
Boy's discovery reveals highly complex plant-insect interaction
Some oak galls have fatty acid-rich caps that attract ants to disperse gall to their nests.
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November 29, 2023
Wasps harness power of pitcher plants in first-ever observed defense strategy
Research led by Antoine Guiguet found that a gall wasp species induces a gall with an acidic pH that is as low as the pH in lemons and pitcher plants.
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