DEPARTMENT OF
Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences
Bone collector caterpillars, a newly discovered species of caterpillar found creeping through spider webs on the Hawaiian Island of O'ahu by the Rubinoff lab, Entomology Section, University of Hawaii, Manoa. For more information, please read BBC Science Focus (April 2025) KHON News: Meet the Bone Collector
PEPS Ph.D. students, Masson Russo (1st from the left), Jordie Ho (4th from the left) and Benjamin Wiseman (5th from the left) attended the ARCS Award Banquet on May 6 2024 at Honolulu Elks Lodge along with PEPS Chair and CTAHR Associate Dean.
Doctors Jenkins, Melzer, and Arif (L-R) secured a Mega Grant from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to foster development of Ag workforce and the next generation of diverse agricultural professionals. https://cms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/NewsLetter/ArtMID/52574/ArticleID/2756/From-Learning-to-Leading
In addition to traps, the Coconut Rhinocerous Beetle program has added three detector dogs like Coop, to help find CRB breeding sites. Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Response
PEPS researchers Dr. Cheng, Julia Coughlin, James Kam, Elizabeth Buchholz (not pictured) and Zhening Zhang are working with the IR-4 program to gain emergency registration of fungicides to help control Coffee Leaf Rust, a major threat to Hawaii’s coffee production. Coffee Rust Attacks Hawaii Coffee Trees: IR-4 Flights Back
PEPS Faculty and graduate students at the 2021 Entomological Society of America Conference in Denver, Colorado where they gave a keynote presentation on urban entomology, presented results of research in Hawaii, and team Ka Mea Kolo were even crowned champions of the National Entomology Games!
Alejandro Olmedo-Velarde, a graduate student from the Agrosecurity Lab, is studying Hibiscus green spot virus 2, a flat mite transmitted virus that causes leprosis-like symptoms on the leaves.
Dr. Tay is investigating the main corridors for mosquito dispersal. Targeting control methods to prevent the establishment of new species, and developing environmentally friendly alternatives to manage urban insect pests, without impacting beneficial nontarget organisms.
Understanding the role of weeds in Hawaii's agroecosystems. Do they promote or suppress pest insects? (Dr. Shikano Ikkei's Lab)
Aaron Shipman, a master's student in the Tian Lab, is characterizing Hawaiian isolates of Fusarium causing Panama Disease of bananas.
Dr. Ethel Villalobos, behavioral ecologist studies pathogens and diseases in bees and other insects. Learn more about these tiny pollinators that are so vital to our food supply.
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-5z0X6gQBI
Dr. Koon-Hui Wang's lab and CTAHR Cooperative Extension are working on alternative soil-borne disease management methods to protect "Pisang Awak" banana from Fusarium wilt.
Link to video: https://youtu.be/kkZ8wgeZTGk
Dr. Brent Sipes is teaming up with CTAHR economist, Dr. Catherine Chan and scientists from Michigan State University to share our knowledge in promoting soil health for nematode managament with potato growers in Guatemala as part of the USAID mission to reduce poverty in developing nations.
PEPS Insect Ecology Specialist Dr. Mark Wright has shown that honeybee pheromones can repel elephants, suggesting a new tool to keep the pachyderms out of areas where they can come into conflict with humans.
Link to Video: https://youtu.be/fq5e1c_F7js
Dr. Mike Melzer and his lab developed high-throughput pathogen diagnostic techniques to help US and Canadian seed potato growers to produce certified pathogen-free potato seeds on Oahu. This project is the foundation of the US's $3.7 billion annual potato crop.
A bioluminescence gene (GFP) inserted into the genome of Tobacco mosaic virus allows researchers to track the progression of infection as the virus travels throughout the plant. Infected areas glow green under ultraviolet light, while uninfected areas remain red.
Drs. Shizu Watanabe and Michael Melzer (Agrosecurity Laboratory) search for coconut rhinoceros beetles in a coconut palm in Palau to understand the genetics of the population and develop management tools in Hawaii, Palau, and elsewhere in the Pacific Region.
Students sampling insects above the clouds at 13,800 feet to find out who eats who in a unique and potentially endangered ecosystem on the top of a volcano.
Natasha Navet, PhD student in Tian Lab, is investigating an easy and rapid assay to identify transgenic basil plants in T1 segregating populations.
Our collections hold over 400,000 specimens of, mostly Hawaiian, insect species that are available for research projects and a source of inspiration for students of all ages.
Undergraduate students participated in a DIY screenhouse project to help organic farmers battling challenging pests otherwise difficult to be managed in organic production system.
The Kamehameha Butterfly is one of only two butterfies endemic to Hawaii. PEPS researchers are trying to preserve this butterfly, whose population is dwindling in the wild.
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM TAE
Tropical Agriculture and the Environment (TAE) is a STEM program that encompasses various fields and utilizes interdisciplinary approaches to address current and future challenges to sustainable crop production, food security and managed agricultural systems. Visit the TAE infographic site (https://cms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/peps/UNDERGRADUATE-TAE) to learn more about this undergraduate program.
MASTER AND DOCTORATE IN ENTOMOLOGY
Hawaii's location in the Pacific basin provides students with an ideal setting for tropical pest management and environmental studies. Learn more about advanced studies in Entomology here.
MASTER AND DOCTORATE IN TROPICAL PLANT PATHOLOGY
Agriculture, urban, and natural environments are severely affected by invasive plants, arthropods (and other animals), and disease-causing organisms. Learn more about advanced studies in Tropical Plant Pathology here.
RESEARCH
Learn more about PEPS research efforts in Hawaiiʻs unique island ecosystems here.
EXTENSION
PEPS is home to many important Extension and Outreach programs for Hawai'i, to address the pest pressures of our subtropical climate.
Department of Plant & Environmental Protection Sciences
3050 Maile Way Gilmore Hall 310 Honolulu, HI 96822 Phone: (808) 956-7076 Fax: (808) 956-2428 Email: peps@ctahr.hawaii.edu
If you require information in an alternative format, please contact us at: PEPS-ADA@ctahr.hawaii.edu
