Pedro Barbosa


Department of Entomology
Plant Science Building, Rm. 4112
University of Maryland
College Park, Maryland 20742-4454
Telephone : (301) 405-3946
FAX :(301) 314-6334
E-Mail : pbarbosa@umd.edu


EDUCATION
B.S. (1966) : City College of New York, Dept. of Biology.

M.S. (1969) : Univ. of Massachusetts, Dept. of Entomology.

Ph.D. (1971) : Univ. of Massachusetts, Dept. of Entomology.

ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES
Professor, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland. 1982-Present

Associate Professor, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland. 1979-1982

Associate Professor,Dept. of Entomology, Univ. of Massachusetts. 1978-1979

Assistant Professor, Dept. of Entomology, Univ. of Massachusetts. 1973-1978

Assistant Professor, Dept. of Entomology and Economic Zoology. Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J. 1971-1973

RESEARCH INTERESTS
My research interests are in insect-plant and three trophic level interactions. I am specifically interested in using data on three trophic level interactions and the influence of plants on natural enemies and natural enemy communities to help develop IPM strategies. Thus, current research aims to elucidate plant factors that enhance biological control by insect parasitoids and predators and determine the feasibility of bioengineering these traits into plants. The ultimate objective of this research is to incorporate these traits into a single cultivar and test the efficacy of this "designer cultivar" approach to non-chemical control of pest species. The major thrust of the research is the analyses of the underlying ecological interactions affecting conservation biological control.

The objective of another current study is to understand the population dynamics of scarce species. My approach to this issue is to describe and understand patterns of parasitism and predation of insect assemblages and determine whether and how tri-trophic level interactions among herbivores, plants, and natural enemies (parasitoids and predators) structure assemblages of scarce herbivore species.

In addition, another current research project aims to elucidate plant factors that enhance biological control by insect parasitoids and predators and determine the feasibility of bioengineering these traits into plants. The ultimate objective of this research is to incorporate these traits into a single cultivar and test the efficacy of this "designer cultivar" approach to non-chemical control of pest species.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
1997 Fellow, Entomological Society of America

1995 Featured in "Hispanics in Science" calendar

1993 Ciba-Geigy Recognition Award, Eastern Branch

1991 Distinguished Research Faculty Fellowship

1989 Science Award (Institute of Puerto Rico of New York)

1987 President, Eastern Branch, ESA

1986,1987 Bussart Memorial Award in Research

1984 Ford Foundation Fellow

TEACHING
Biological Suppression of Plant Pests

Animal-Plant Interactions

PUBLICATIONS (LAST FIVE YEARS:1999-2003)
Refereed Articles

Letourneau, D. K. and Barbosa, P. 1999. Ants, stem-borers, and pubescence in Endospermum in Papua New Guinea. Biotropica 31: 295-302.

Riddick, E. W. and P. Barbosa. 2000. Cry3A-intoxicated Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) are palatable prey for Lebia grandis Hentz. J. Entomol. Sci. 35:342-346

Riddick, E. W., Dively, G., and P. Barbosa. 2000. Season-long abundance of generalist predators in transgenic versus nontransgenic potato fields. J. Entomol. Sci. 35: 349-359.

Barbosa, P., Segarra, A. E. and Gross, P. 2000. Structure of two macrolepidopteran assemblages on Salix nigra (Marsh) and Acer negundo L.: abundance, diversity, richness, and persistence of scarce species. Ecol. Entomol. 25: 374-379.

Legrand, A. and Barbosa, P. 2000. Pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris (Homoptera:Aphididae) fecundity, rate of increase and within-plant distribution unaffected by plant morphology. Environ. Entomol. 29: 987-993.

Barbosa, P. B., Segarra, A. E., Gross, P., Caldas, A., Ahlstrom, K., Carlson, R. W., Ferguson, D. C., Grissell, E. E., Hodges, R. W., Marsh, P. M., Poole, R. W., Schauff, M. E., Shaw, S. R., Whitfield, J. B., and Woodley, N. E. 2001. Differential parasitism of macrolepidopteran herbivores on two deciduous tree species. Ecology 82: 698-704.

Mallampalli, N., I. Castellanos, and P. Barbosa. 2002. Evidence for intraguild predation by Podisus maculiventris on a ladybeetle, Coleomegilla maculata Lengi: implications for biological control of Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata. Biocontrol. 4:387-398.

Medina, R.F., and Barbosa, P. 2002. Predation of small and large Orgyia leucostigma (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) larvae by species in vertebrate and invertebrate predator communities. Environmental Entomology 31: 1097-1102.

Caldas, A., Hawthorne, D. J., and Barbosa, P. 2002. Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers from Zale galbanata (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and amplification in other members of the genus. Molecular Ecology Notes. 10: 1046-1047

Barbosa, P., Caldas, A., and G. Robinson. 2003. Host plant associations among species in two macrolepidopteran assemblages. J. Entomol. Sci. 38: 41-47.

Barbosa, P. and Caldas, A. 2003. Patterns of parasitoid-host associations in differentially parasitized macrolepidopteran assemblages on black willow Salix nigra (marsh) and box elder Acer negundo L. Basic And Applied Ecology. (in press).

Legrand, A. and Barbosa, P. 2003. Plant Morphological Complexity Impacts Foraging Efficiency of adult Coccinella septempunctata L.(Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Environ. Entomol. 32: 1219-1226. (http://esa.edoc.com/environ/v32n5/v32n5p1219.pdf)

Barbosa, P., Tammaru, T., and Caldas, A. Is Parasitism of Numerically Dominant Species in Macrolepidopteran Assemblages Independent of their Abundance? Basic And Applied Ecology. (in press).

Book Chapters

Gurr, G. M., Wratten, S. D., and Barbosa, P. 2000. Success in Conservation Biological Control of Arthropods. In Biological Control: Measures of Success. Gurr, G. and Wratten, S. (eds.). pp.105-132. Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Bronstein, J. and Barbosa, P. 2002. Multi-trophic/multi-species mutualistic interactions: the role of non-mutualists in shaping and mediating mutualisms In Multitrophic Interactions. Tscharntke, T. and Hawkins, B. A. (eds.). pp. 44-66. Cambridge University Press.

Books

Barbosa, P. and Castellanos, I. Ecology of Predator-Prey Interactions. Oxford University Press. (In preparation).

close window