Richard S. Cowles
Valley Laboratory
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
153 Cook Hill Road
Windsor, CT 06095
Voice: (860) 683-4983 Fax: (860) 683-4987
E-mail: Richard.Cowles@ct.gov
Expertise:
Expert in the area of biology and management of spotted wing
drosophila, hemlock woolly adelgids, armored scales, white grubs (Japanese
beetle, oriental beetle, European chafer, Asiatic garden beetle and black
turfgrass ataenius), black vine weevil, and spider mites. Experienced in the uses of conventional and
new insecticides for the management of nursery, turf, landscape, and small
fruit pests.
Education:
Station career:
Assistant Scientist, Associate Scientist and
Scientist, Valley Laboratory, 1994 – present
Agricultural Scientist
Past research:
Previous research has involved behavioral
manipulation of pests to effect a more favorable distribution of egg-laying
into diversionary crops, identification of a clearwing borer pheromone, and
chemical or biological control of several strawberry, floriculture, nursery,
landscape, and forestry pests. Breakthroughs
have included effective and IPM compatible treatments for twospotted spider
mites, white grubs, and black vine weevils in nurseries; white pine weevil,
pales weevil, balsam twig aphid, and armored scales in Christmas tree
plantations; hemlock woolly adelgid and elongate hemlock scales in forests;
annual bluegrass weevil on golf courses; dust formulation insecticides for
targeting bed bugs; and developing a strawberry variety tolerant of black root
rot and black vine weevils.
Current research:
Current research efforts are directed toward
improved management of armored scales in Christmas tree plantations through
basal bark sprays of systemic insecticides; improving the genetics of fir trees
grown as Christmas trees; and finding alternative and more effective options
for managing strawberry sap beetles and spotted wing drosophila, especially by
including behavioral manipulation.
Selected publications available from author,Richard.Cowles@ct.gov
Christmas tree pest management
-
Practical Armored Scale Management. The following article is available courtesy of The American Christmas Tree Journal, Volume 55, Number 4, pages 12 – 15, with permission from the National Christmas Tree Growers’ Association. (PDF)
-
Cowles, R. S. 2020. White pine weevil management. Great Lakes Christmas Tree Journal 16 (1): 28-30. (PDF)
-
Cowles, R. S. 2020. Zimmerman pine moth biology and management. Great Lakes Christmas Tree Journal 16 (1): 20-21. (PDF)
Systemic Insecticides
-
Cowles, R. S. and Eitzer, B. D. 2017. Residues of neonicotinoid insecticides in pollen and nectar from model plants. J. Environ. Hort. 35(1): 24 – 34. (PDF Format) http://www.hrijournal.org
-
Cowles, R. S., C. Rodriguez-Saona, R. Holdcraft, G. M. Loeb, J. E. Elsensohn, and S. P. Hesler. 2015. Sucrose improves insecticide activity against Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae). J. Econ. Entomol. 1 – 14. DOI: 10.1093/jee/tou100.
http://jee.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/tou100?ijkey=dXzCfzSRz5J8FjP&keytype=ref (PDF) - Cha, D.- H., S. P. Hesler, R. S. Cowles, H. Vogt, G. M. Loeb and P. J. Landolt. 2013. Comparison of a synthetic chemical lure and standard fermented baits for trapping Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae). Environmental Entomology 42: 1052-1060.
- Harper, R. W. and R. S. Cowles. 2013. Susceptibility of Chinese hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) to injury from autumn horticultural oil applications. Arboric. & Urban Forestry 39: 6 – 10.
- Anderson, J. F. and R. S. Cowles. 2012. Susceptibility of Cimex lectularius (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) to pyrethroid insecticides and to insecticidal dusts with or without pyrethroid insecticides. J. Econ. Entomol. 105(5): 1789-1795.
- Cloyd, R. A., J. A. Bethke, and R. S. Cowles. 2012. Systemic insecticides and their use in ornamental plant systems. Floriculture and Ornamental Biotechnology 5(1): 1 – 9.
- Cloyd, R. A. and R. S. Cowles. 2010. Pesticide rotations and mixtures: which is best for resistance mitigation? OFA Bull. 923: 19 – 20.
-
Cowles, R. S. 2010. Optimizing a basal bark spray of dinotefuran to manage armored scales (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) in Christmas tree plantations. J. Econ. Entomol. 103: 1735 – 1743.
- Ramoutar, D., R. S. Cowles, E. Requintina, Jr., and S. R. Alm. 2010. Synergism between demethylation inhibitor fungicides or gibberellin inhibitor plant growth regulators and bifenthrin in a pyrethroid resistant population of Listronotus maculicollis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). J. Econ. Entomol. 103: 1810 – 1814.
-
Cowles, R. S. 2009. Optimizing dosage and preventing leaching of imidacloprid for management of hemlock woolly adelgid in forests.Forest Ecology and Management 257: 1026 – 1033.
- Cowles, R. S. 2004. Susceptibility of strawberry cultivars to the vine weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Agric. & Forest Entomol. 6: 279 – 284.
- Cowles, R. S. 2004. Effects of azadirachtin on the reproduction of the vine weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Agric. & Forest Entomol. 6: 291 – 294.
- Cowles, R. S. 2003. Modeling the effectiveness of bifenthrin for protecting container-grown crops from Japanese and oriental beetle larvae. J. Environ. Hort. 21: 78 – 81.t>
- Cowles, R. S. 2001. Protecting container-grown crops from black vine weevil larvae with bifenthrin. J. Environ. Hort. 19: 184-189.
-
Real Facts About Climate Change & Urban Trees: How Should We Prepare, by Richard S. Cowles http://www.urbanforestrytoday.org/videos.html
-
Mating Disruption - Fruit IPM Webinar Series, by Dr. Richard S. Cowles, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtRS7RYtzTc&feature=youtu.be
-
Neonicotinoids, Bees and Urban Trees: The Controversy Defined, by Dr. Richard S. Cowles, https://vimeo.com/157623443
-
Managing Armored Scales in Christmas Trees, by Dr. Richard S. Cowles (.wmv)
-
Chemical Control Options for Armored Scales in Christmas Trees, by Dr. Richard S. Cowles (.wmv)
-
Basal Bark Sprays and Best Management Practices for Armored Scales in Christmas Trees, by Richard S. Cowles (.wmv)