Team Bio

Our team consists of Lindsy Iglesias and Dara Stockton, two postdoctoral researchers, and lab manager Riley Harding, who are looking to expand their knowledge on invasive species. Lindsy and Dara have experience working with invasive agricultural insect pests including the spotted-wing drosophila, Asian citrus psyllid, and the African fig fly. Dara has extensive experience conducting behavioral assays while Lindsy is well-versed in conducting field trials.

Lindsy Iglesias

Lindsy is a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University in Geneva, NY in the Vegetable Entomology Lab lead by Dr. Brian Nault. Her current research focuses on developing sustainable management strategies using plastic mulches, resistant cultivars, and OMRI-approved insecticides, for onion thrips in organic onion production. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Florida where she conducted research on another invasive pest, the spotted-wing drosophila, in berry crops. She has designed and conducted many field studies, including trapping trials where she evaluated trap design and bait type for monitoring spotted-wing drosophila. Lindsy has also worked closely with many farmers during her research trials. Lindsy has experience designing and conducting behavioral assays looking at egg-laying preference of spotted-wing drosophila and the invasive African fig fly on different types of berries. Finally, Lindsy is well-versed in data analysis using SAS, JMP, and R programs.

Dara G. Stockton

I am currently a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell AgriTech, where I primarily conduct integrated pest management research on Drosophila suzukii, an invasive fruit pest currently responsible for significant economic losses in small fruit crops. I graduated with my PhD in entomology in 2017 from the University of Florida, where I studied the behavioral ecology of the invasive phytopathogen vector, Diaphorina citri in conventional Citrus and ornamental Murraya. During my postdoctoral research appointment I have focused on the chemical ecology, overwintering biology, and applied pest management of spotted wing drosophila in the context of small fruit agriculture. Broadly, I’m interested in the impact of learning on the behavioral ecology and evolutionary biology of invasive arthropods, specifically in the areas of learned mate choice and induced host preference. However, my research often incorporates movement biology, population dynamics, multi-trophic and community interactions, and evolutionary co-adaptation. I support innovative integrated pest management solutions, and have a strong interest in the improved use of biocontrol using predatory mites and entomopathogenic nematodes, biopesticides, and genetic control of insect populations. I aim to take basic research and transform it into applied solutions by continuously developing economically feasible pest management tools and preparing extension materials targeting growers addressing regionally specific challenges.

Riley Harding

I am also a member of the Cornell AgriTech community where I am a lab manager of a vegetable entomology lab that focuses on the biology and ecology of the main pests of vegetable crops in New York State. I received my B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Vermont in 2014. Since then I’ve traveled to Ireland twice as a WWOOFer (world-wide opportunities on organic farms) and worked on a few organic farms in NYS where I honed my cultivation and horticultural skills. My current role involves conducting research trials on various insect pests of vegetable crops. Predominately, the major pests we focus on managing are onion maggot, onion thrips, Colorado potato beetle and most recently the allium leafminer. My area of expertise belongs to establishing field trials, crop maintenance, applying crop protectants and assessing damage by insects as well as the diseases or viruses they transmit. I also have extensive experience characterizing viruses from both plant and animal samples by utilizing DAS-ELISA and RT-PCR technologies, respectively. I also have experience conducting pesticide sensitivity bio-assays to screen onion thrips populations for susceptibility to a commonly used insecticide. What I like most about my role is that I oversee both the fieldwork and the lab-work. This allows me to understand what is happening in a given environment on both a macro- and micro-scale. But most of all, I appreciate the applied research we do because there is a direct means to the end. Pointedly, we conduct this research in order to improve management of a given pest and directly convey this to growers.