ENTOMOLOGY Tel: 972-8-948-9223; Fax: 972-8-946-6768 URL: http://departments.agri.huji.ac.il/entomology/ STAFF Professors Emeriti: Gerson, U., Ph.D. Lensky, Y., Ph.D. Applebaum, S.W., Ph.D. 1 Professors: Cohen, E., Ph.D. (Head of Department) Associate Professor: Yuval, B., Ph.D. Senior Lecturer: Lecturers: Coll, M., Ph.D. Heifetz, Y., Ph.D. Shafir, S., Ph.D. INTRODUCTION The Department of Entomology is devoted to the study of insects. A multidisciplinary biological approach (at the molecular, physiological, behavioral and ecological levels) is brought to bear on economically significant species of insects and mites. Accordingly, research and teaching focus on pests of cultivated plants and their natural enemies (i.e., parasites, predators and pathogens); on biological control, chemical control and pesticide toxicology; on apiculture and pollination; and on plant and insect virology. The research program of the Department covers the following main areas: Behavioral ecology: Nutritional ecology and sexual biology of flies. Insect physiology: Physiology and endocrinology of insect reproduction; physiological ecology of diapause, migration and phase transition. Insect reproduction: Molecular mechanisms in insect reproduction and aging. Insect ecology and integrated pest management (IPM): Population biology and population dynamics of insect pests and their natural enemies; insect-plant interactions. Pest control and pesticide toxicology: Resistance mechanisms; chitin as target for pest control; insect pest control by entomopathogenic fungi, 1 Morris and Helen Mauerberger Professor of Agricultural Entomology 26
photostabilization of biocontrol agents. Apiculture: Biology of the honey bee and pollination ecology; foraging and rewards in social insects. Plant virology: Isolation and characterization of antiviral factors of plant origin; plant-virus replication; regulation of viral resistance; transgenic plants expressing foreign genes. APPLEBAUM, SHALOM W. Born 1934, New York, NY; Ph.D. 1963, Hebrew Univ.; Lect. 1965; Sen. Lect. 1967; Assoc. Prof. 1972; Prof. 1978; Emeritus 2002. E-mail: shalom@agri.huji.ac.il ;Tel: 972-8-948-9154; Fax: 972-8-946-8586 The control of reproductive maturation and pheromone production in insects. Juvenile hormone synthesis and its regulation in the Medfly (Ceratitis capitata). Diapause and migration of the African bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera). Biocontrol of armyworms and locust with entomopathogenic fungi. 1. Integrated pest management in processing tomato fields in Ethiopia. (In collaboration with Dr. Moshe Coll). Funding: US AID-CDR. 2. The contribution of male-derived accessory gland peptides to female behavior and reproductive control in the Medfly (Ceratitis capitata). Funding: Israel Science Foundation. 3. Biocontrol of Armyworms with the Entomopathogenic Fungi Nomuraea rileyi and Beauveria bassiana. (In collaboration with Professor Radwan Barakat, Hebron University). Funding: Middle East Cooperation (MERC) Program COHEN, EPHRAIM Born 1939, Petah Tikva; Ph.D., Hebrew Univ.; Lect. 1972; Sen. Lect. 1978; Assoc. Prof. 1985; Prof. 1990. E-mail: ecohen@agri.huji.ac.il Tel: 972-8-948-9718; Fax: 972-8-946-6768 URL: http://departments.agri.huji.ac.il/entomology/cohen.html 27
Chitin biochemistry. Chitin as a target for pest control. Biochemical basis of insect resistance to pesticides. Biocontrol using entomopathogenic fungi. Photostabilization of biocontrol agents. 1. Resistance of pests to insecticides - biochemical mechanisms of resistance. 2. Resistance management of the codling moth in apple orchards. 3. Alternative measures to methyl bromide for controlling stored product insects. 4. Biocontrol measures using entomopathogenic fungi. 5. Photostabilization of biocontrol agents using composite clay-polymer matrices. 6. Chitin biochemistry - chitin synthase in insects - gene isolation, gene expression and inhibition. COLL, MOSHE Born 1957, Tel Aviv; Ph.D. 1991, Univ. of Maryland; Sen. Lect. 1997. E-mail: coll@agri.huji.ac.il Tel: 972-8-948-9153; Fax: 972-8-946-6768 Insect ecology. Biological pest control. Integrated pest management. 1. Ecology and behavior of omnivorous insects. 2. Biological control of diamondback moth in cole crops in South Africa Funding: USAID/CDR. 3. Development of an environmentally friendly protection for sweet pepper and strawberry. Funding: EU/CRAFT. GERSON, URI Born 1930, Chemnitz (Germany); Ph.D. 1967, Hebrew Univ.; Sen. Lect. 1972; Assoc. Prof. 1976; Prof. 1981; Emeritus 1998. Email: gerson@agri.huji.ac.il Tel:972-89-489-220; Fax: 972-89-466-768 The use of mites (Acari) for the biological control of insect pests and mites. Biological control of mites with fungi. 28
1. Use of mites in the control of agricultural and veterinary pests. 2. Control of mites with fungi. 3. Control of mites infesting citrus and palm dates. HEIFETZ, YAEL Born 1958, Ph.D. 1997, Hebrew Univ.; Lecturer 2001. E-mail: heifetz@agri.huji.ac.il Tel: 972-8-9489313; Fax: 972-8-9466768. Integrating genetic, molecular and physiological studies aimed at understanding the role of female reproductive tract and its associated organs in facilitating a successful reproduction event. Including (1) Dissecting the role of female accessory glands in mediating fertilization; (2) Sperm-egg interactions; (3) Reproductive aging. Research Project: 1. From oocyte to viable embryo. Funding: Authority R&D, HU. LENSKY, YAACOV Born 1929, Warsaw; Ph.D. 1963, Hebrew Univ.; Lect. 1964; Sen. Lect. 1968; Assoc. Prof. 1972; Prof. 1979; Emeritus 1997. E-mail: lensky@agri.huji.ac.il Tel: 972-8-948-9136; Biology and physiology of honey bees: reproduction and swarming; differentiation of female larvae to queens; the role and chemical composition of queen, worker and drone pheromones. The effect of flower and nectar characteristic on the visitation and pollination of plants. Integrated control of Varroa mites in bee colonies. Thermoregulation of bee colonies. 1. Pheromones of honey bees. 2. Flower scents attractive to honey bees. SHAFIR SHARON Born 1963, Tel Aviv; Ph.D. 1995, Stanford Univ.; Lect. 1998. E-mail: shafir@agri.huji.ac.il. Fax: 972-8-9489842; Tel: 972-8-948-9401/9354 29
Behavioral and pollination ecology. Foraging theory. Cognitive, ecological and genetic aspects of decision-making in bees.cognition-mediated coevolution. Conservation of bees. Honey bee breeding. 1. Perceptual, neurological and genetic aspects of choice behavior of honey bees in response to resource variability. 2. The processes by which honey bees evaluate costs and rewards of floral resources. 3. Developing specialized honey bee stocks for avocado pollination. 4. The effect of ambient temperature on honey bees crop-load decisions. 5. Developing a regime suitable for beekeeping in Israel for supplemental feeding of pollen substitutes. YUVAL, BOAZ Born 1955, Jerusalem; Ph.D. 1987, Hebrew Univ.; Sen. Lect. 1994; Assoc. Prof. 1998. E-mail: yuval@agri.huji.ac.il Tel: 972-8-948-9419; Fax: 972-8-946-6768. Behavior and ecology of arthropods, in particular sexual behavior and nutritional ecology of economically or medically important flies such as tephritid fruit flies, mosquitoes and sandflies. Integrated pest management. 1. Manipulation of the adult environment to increase sexual competitiveness and survival of male Mediterranean fruit flies. BARD. 2. Bacterial populations associated with Ceratitis capitata, the Mediterranean fruit fly. BSF 3. Effects of diet and size on sexual behavior of male Mediterranean fruit flies. IAEA (Vienna). 4. How to produce a better sterile male. Ministry of Agriculture, Israel 30