Larry Phelan

Chemical Ecology & Metabolomics Lab

Research Area

Our research program encompass both basic and applied aspects of areas: 1) the role of soil communities in plant health and susceptibility to herbivory, disease, and plant competition in biological farming systems, and 2) identification and behavioral characterization of plant secondary compounds and arthropod semiochemicals that mediate host finding and other behaviors.

Specific research projects: Our research program encompass both basic and applied aspects of areas: 1) the role of soil communities in plant health and susceptibility to herbivory, disease, and plant competition in biological farming systems, and 2) identification and behavioral characterization of plant secondary compounds and arthropod semiochemicals that mediate host finding and other behaviors.
 

Recent Teaching and Mentorship

Teaching

• ENTMLGY 5490, Insect Behavior: Mechanisms & Function, Spring odd years, GRAD/UG, lecture
• ENTMLGY 6703, Molecular Techniques & Data Analysis, Spring even years, GRAD, lecture/lab

 MS and PhD Student Advisory Committees

• Tae-Young Lee, Ph.D. Entomology 2022
• Geisse, Alissa, Ph.D. candidate, EEOB.
• Cavichiolli de Oliveira, Nathalia, Ph.D. candidate, Entomology & Acarology. University of São Paulo-ESALQ
• Walker, Emily, M.S. candidate, ESGP, graduated 2021
• Soto, Andrea Leiva, Ph.D. candidate, Hort. & Crop Science
• Tyrpak, Alex, M.S. candidate, Entomology, graduated 2020
• Trejo Sypolt, Emily, M.S. candidate, Entomology, graduated 2019
• Murray, Stephanie, M.S. candidate, Entomology, graduated 2019
• Justus, Emily, Ph.D. candidate, Entomology, transferred to Purdue Univ. 2019.

Publications:

• Oliveira, N.C., Phelan, P.L., Labate, C.A., Cônsoli, F.L. 2022. Non-targeted metabolomics reveals differences in the gut metabolic profile of the fall armyworm strains when feeding different food sources. J Insect Physiol. 139:104400.

• Kim, Y. N., Basta, N. T., Gardiner, M. M., and Phelan, P. L. Submitted. Potential for remediation of post-industrial urban soils by urban farming and organic matter management. J. Environ. Qual.

• Mittapelly, P., Rajarapu, S.P., Phelan, P.L., and Michel, A.P. In review. Metatranscriptome and amino acid profiling  in the brown marmorated stink bug reveals the importance of the obligate bacterial endosymbiont in Halyomorpha halys. J. Insect Physiol..

• Rajarapu, S.P., Muilenburg, V.L., Wijeratne, S., Phelan, P.L., Sudhamalla, B., Herms, D.A., and Mittapalli, O. Submitted. Molecular characterization of the interaction between the invasive emerald ash borer and a novel and coevolved host species (Fraxinus spp.). Ecol. Evol.

• Esquivel, C. J., Ranger, C.M., Phelan, P.L., Martinez, E.J., Hendrix, W.H., Cañas, L. A., and Michel, A.P. 2019. Weekly survivorship curves of soybean aphid biotypes 1 and 4 on insecticidal seed treated soybean. J. Econ. Entomol. 112: 712-719.

• Chorbadjian, R.A., Phelan, P.L., Herms, D.A. 2018. Tight insect-host phenological synchrony constrains the life-history strategy of European pine sawfly. Agric. & For. Entomol. doi.org/10.1111/afe.12299

• Ruisheng, A., Orellana, D., Phelan, P.L., Cañas, L., Grewal, P. 2016.  Entomopathogenic nematodes induce systemic resistance in tomato against Spodoptera exigua and Pseudomonas syringae. Biol. Contr. 93: 24–29