Insect Genetic Lab

The Applied Insect Genetics Laboratory in the Department of Entomology on the UGA Griffin campus uses DNA technology to study insect pests costing agriculture and businesses billions of dollars. Genetic evaluation of DNA data has been used to track invasive species to their country or state of origin, predict pest dispersal patterns across Georgia based on genetic diversity and endosymbiont type, uncover breeding structure for insights into control and verify the efficacy of management strategies in insect pests from four orders: Isoptera, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, and Hemiptera. The growing urbanization in the southeastern United States and ecological changes due to warming trends will exacerbate infestations of ants and termites. It may also change the dynamics between insect herbivores important to urban agriculture such as flea beetles and new invasive such as the bean plataspid, Megacopta cribraria. This is why it is imperative that insect pests be studied from an interdisciplinary, collaborative perspective that includes DNA technology.