The National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) was formed in June 2002 in response to agricultural biosecurity concerns following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The Southern Plant Diagnostic Network (SPDN) is one of five regions within the NPDN. Member states or U.S. territories of the SPDN include: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida (UF, regional center), Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Puerto Rico, and Virginia. The mission of the NPDN/SPDN is to enhance agricultural security and assist in protecting the U.S. from intentional or unintentional exotic pest introductions. Numerous endemic, introduced, and exotic species of Coleoptera threaten agriculture in the southern U.S. National taxonomic specialists will interactively lead participants through family, genus, and species level identification of Chyrsomelidae, Scolytinae, and Cerambycidae beetles. Specialists will generally provide brief, overview presentations to pest groups. The majority of participant time will focus on hands-on identification of specimens.
General entomology diagnostician and extension specialists in the southern region interested in Coleoptera identification should attend. The following groups would benefit from the workshop:
Seven Ways You Benefit from Attending
Upon completion of the workshop, you will:
The Biology, Ecology, and Identification of Common and Exotic Species of Concern to the Southern Region of the Following Groups:
While a portion of his current research at Cornell includes phylogenetic and taxonomic studies of beetles of the family Staphylinidae of North, Central, and South America, his applied research focuses on the detection of and survey for non-indigenous invasive species among the North American insect fauna. During the past two and one-half decades, he has been recognized as a national leader in the area of exotic pest detection, having discovered numerous insect species new to the Western Hemisphere, North America, or to the United States. He not only has collected and identified immigrant species belonging to diverse orders, but he has also authored or co-authored over 60 referred papers on exotic species, providing valuable information on their recognition, North American distribution, seasonal history, and habits. He was the first entomologist to identify the highly destructive Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) from an infested Brooklyn neighborhood in New York City in 1996, and the pine-killing European woodwasp (Sirex noctilio) from central New York in early 2005. Since 2001, he also has been an identification specialist supporting the joint USDA-APHIS and Forest Service’s “Early Detection and Rapid Response” survey for exotic Scolytidae.
He has been the identifier for Oregon's CAPS exotic woodboring insects surveys since 1997. Since 2001, he has been the Western Region identifier for the joint USDA APHIS and Forest Service's "Early Detection and Rapid Response" (EDRR) survey for exotic woodboring insects. Jim has either identified or recognized as exotic numerous introduced woodboring insects new to the western U.S., the U.S. in general, or North America. For instance, he was the first to recognize specimens later identified as Scolytus schevyrewi, the banded elm bark beetle, as exotic to North America. He has coauthored several articles documenting the presence of "new" introduced woodboring insects and the risks associated with such species. Along with the other EDRR taxonomists, he has been instrumental in developing high-quality digital image-based screening aids to enable non-taxonomists or non-scolytinists to screen samples from exotic scolytine surveys, allowing the EDRR taxonomists to concentrate their efforts on potentially exotic specimens rather than the vast numbers of common native or well-established exotics. He is collaborating with other entomologists to develop both a hard-copy field guide and a LUCID key to the Siricidae of North America, including the means to identify the European wood wasp, Sirex noctilio, recently found in New York and Ontario.
During his 9 years with SEL, Steve has focussed research on systematics of beetles, with early emphasis on leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) and current emphasis on longhorned woodboring beetles (Cerambycidae). Steve has travelled extensively in the Caribbean, Central and South America, Asia, and Europe collecting and researching beetles. His work has resulted in over 20 papers and two books on the systematics and identification of beetles. In addition to research, Steve makes identifications of these groups and weevils (Curculionidae) for APHIS-PPQ and other organizations and individuals. Steve also curates the National Collection of longhorned woodboring beetles and weevils at the Smithsonian Institution and assists users from all over the world in their research and use of the collection.
Enrollment will initially be limited to two participants per SPDN state or territory. Each state’s representation will be determined by their SPDN entomology representative. All officially approved SPDN representatives should register no later than February 1, 2006. Registrations will not be processed for individuals attempting to register without prior approval of SPDN. Any remaining spaces will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, contact Amanda Hodges at achodges@ifas.ufl.edu. What Does the Registration Fee Include? All figures are presented in US dollars ($). Registration Fees:
Early Registration deadline is February
15, 2006. Before clicking on the Register Now link below, we recommend that you have payment information on-hand, such as credit card, check number or purchase order number, if we are to invoice your institution. Refund Policy: Requests for registration refunds will be honored if written notification of cancellation is received by the Office of Conferences on or before March 22, 2006. A $100.00 processing fee will be deducted from all refunds. Sorry, no refunds will be honored for cancellations after March 22, 2006. Special Needs: Participants with special needs can be reasonably accommodated by contacting Mr. Eric Day, Virginia Tech Department of Entomology, Phone: (540) 231-4899, FAX (540) 231-9131 at least 10 working days prior to the conference.
Click Here for detailed sponsorship information (PDF file).
You are visitor number:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mr. E. Richard
Hoebeke: Rick is a Senior Extension Associate in the Department of
Entomology at Cornell University, and the Assistant Curator of the Cornell
University Insect Collection and has maintained these positions since 1977.
He is a native of Michigan and received a B.Sc. degree in Biological Science
in 1971 and a M.Sc. degree in Systematic Entomology in 1973 both from
Michigan State University, and continued his graduate studies in Systematic
Entomology in a Ph.D. program at Cornell University from 1974-1977. 
Mr.
James R. LaBonte: Jim is the Taxonomic Entomologist for the Oregon
Department of Agriculture and curator of the ODA insect collection . He
received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Entomology from Oregon State
University. He has a varied and broad background in entomology as well as
business. Jim's personal research focuses on the biology and systematics of
Carabidae (ground beetles), especially those that are blind, and he has
discovered several new species of this family in Oregon. His applied
taxonomic expertise is with western North American and introduced insects,
especially Coleoptera (particularly Cerambycidae and Curculionidae:
Scolytinae) and some groups of Hymenoptera (western and exotic species of
Formicidae, Siricidae, and Xiphydriidae). 
Dr.
Steve Lingafelter: Steve is a Research Entomologist with the Systematic
Entomology Laboratory (SEL) of the Agriculture Research Service (USDA) and
is an Adjunct Scientist in Entomology at the Smithsonian Institution. Steve
also serves as a graduate advisor and adjunct faculty member of the
University of Florida (Gainesville) and University of Maryland (College
Park).
Ms. Charyn
Micheli: Charyn earned her B. S. in Biology at the Pontifical Catholic
University of Puerto Rico in 2000. Although publishing her first paper on
Diatoms of Mona Island, Puerto Rico, her interests recently have turned to
beetles. She is currently working on an M. S. at the University of Maryland
and is a research collaborator at the Smithsonian Institution. Her thesis
focusses on a revision of Caribbean longhorned beetles. She has published 3
papers on longhorned woodboring beetles, focussing on taxa that occur in the
Caribbean. Charyn has travelled extensively in Puerto Rico, the Dominican
Republic, and Bolivia collecting specimens. 
Mr. Gino
Nearns: Gino is a graduate student in the Department of Entomology and
Nematology at the University of Florida studying systematics and taxonomy of
longhorned beetles (Cerambycidae). 
Mr. Edward G.
Riley. Ed received his M. S. degree from Louisiana State University. He
has held professional positions in applied agricultural entomology and
entomological collections management. He currently serves as Associate
Curator of the
The
workshop training will be held in
The Inn @
Virginia Tech & Skelton Conference Center is offering workshop participants
a special guest room rate of $90.00 a night plus tax with one person in a
room, and $110.00 a night with two people in a room. (Virginia State Sales
Tax is 5%)
![[OCI Home Page]](../soils/hydricsoils/oci_home.GIF){kind=small}