Judith Myers

Emerita

My research interests include the theory and practice of biological control of insects and plants, population ecology of insects, ecology of invasive plants and the ecological and evolutionary factors influencing Bt resistance and NPV dynamics

 

Research interests

  1. Populations of western tent caterpillars in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia fluctuate with peaks occurring every 6 to 11 years. We have been studying the characteristics associated with these fluctuations and in particular the role of infection by nucleopolyhedrovirus in the host population dynamics. We are embarking on a genetic study of populations to determine the role of gene flow in maintaining synchrony among populations.
  2. Recent success in the biological control of diffuse knapweed has stimulated interest in how the various biological control agents interact and if the last insect to be widely established, a weevil, would have been sufficient on its own. We have established experimental cages in areas near Okanagan Falls in which diffuse knapweed has reinvaded following fire. Our goal is to be able to better predict what makes successful biological control agents.
  3. Populations of cabbage loopers in vegetable green houses sometimes become resistant to a commonly used microbial control, Dipel or Bacillus thuringiensis. We have been studying the cost of resistance, the genetic control of resistance, and the mechanisms that influence resistance to understand coevolutionary interactions between the disease and the host and to make recommendations to growers for resistance management.
Rapid evolution and the cost of resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis in greenhouse populations of cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni
Proc. Royal Soc. London B. 270:2263-2270
Janmaat, A.F. and J.H. Myers
2003
The ecology and evolution of insect Baculoviruses
Ann. Rev. Ecol. and Syst. 34: 239-272
Cory, J.S. and J.H. Myers
2003
Costs and stability of cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) resistance to a nucleopolyhedrovirus
Evolutionary Ecology 16: 369-385
Milks, M.L., Myers, J.H. and M.K. Leptich
2002
DNA polymerase gene sequences indicate Western and Forest Tent Caterpillar Viruses form a new taxonomic group within baculoviruses
Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 81:131-137
Nielsen, C.B., Cooper, D. Short, S.M., Myers, J.H., Suttle, C.A
2002
Eradication: Is it ecologically, financially, environmentally and realistically possible?
Managing for Healthy Ecosystems
Myers, J.H
2002
Is the resistance of cabbage loopers (Trichoplusia ni) to a nucleopolyhedrovirus stable? Effects of putative fitness costs and immigration of susceptible moths.
Evolution (Accepted with revision. Revised and resubmitted).
Milks, M, J.H. Myers and M.K. Leptich
2002
Multiple agents in biological control: Improving the odds?
Biological Control 24:20-30
Denoth, M., L. Frid, and J.H. Myers
2002
Nucleopolyhedroviruses of forest and western tent caterpillars: cross-infectivity and evidence for activation of latent virus in high density field populations
Ecological Entomology 41-50
Cooper, D., Cory, J.S. Theilman, D. and J.H. Myers
2002
Setting priorities for the biological control of weeds: What to do and how to do it
Proceedings, Hawaii Biological Control Workshop. Technical Report #129 pp. 62-74
Myers, J.H. and Ware, J
2002
Thermal ecology of western tent caterpillars, Malacosoma californicum pluviale and infection by nucleopolyhedrovirus
Ecological Entomology 27: 665-673
Frid, L. and Myers, J.H
2002