Research

  • Current Projects
  • Past Projects
  • Publications

1. Manipulating movements of diamondback moths and their natural enemies

Growers of cruciferous vegetables in Hawaii have been fighting insecticide resistant diamondback moths for decades. We are developing conservation biological control methods to increase natural enemies in the agroecosystem. These include testing various insectary plants, trap crops and weeds in the lab and field, and observing the behaviors of the diamondback moths and their predators and parasitoids. The research has an applied focus, but we're also studying basic predator-prey interactions such as enemy-risk (aka. non-consumptive) effects. These projects are/were funded by CTAHR FY2020 Research/Extension Capacity Funds and HDOA Specialty Crops Block Grant Program (2021-2022).

 

2. Developing integrated pest management strategies to control melon flies 

The melon fly, Zeugodacus cucrbitae is an invasive fruit fly in the family Tephritidae. Tephritidae fruit flies, including melon flies, are highly destructive agricultural pests. Infestations of cucurbit farms in Hawaii can lead to complete failures of crops. Recent data suggests that melon flies in Hawaii are exhibiting resistance to the few registered insecticides. Therefore, this project is focused on testing numerous IPM methods, including chemical insecticides, protein baits and microbial control agents, to develop effective control strategies. These projects are funded by USDA PPA 7721.

 

3. Plant-insect-microbe interactions 

This research area broadly examines the complex effects of microbes on insect-plant interactions. These include projects to assess the roles of gut microbiota on the resistance of diamondback moth larvae to numerous chemical insecticides and projects that assess the effects of systemic induced resistance generated by rhizobacteria on aboveground interactions among plants, herbivores and pollinators.

 

Plant-insect-pathogen interactions (Penn State 2014-2019)

 

 

Developing integrated pest management strategies to control mushroom phorid flies (Penn State 2018-2019)

 

 

Assessing compatibility of chemical and microbial control products for bed bug management (Penn State 2018-2019)

a undergraduate student co-author

b graduate student co-author​

 

Review papers and book chapter

  1. Mogren, C.L. & Shikano, I. (2021) Microbiota, pathogens, and parasites as mediators of tritrophic interactions between insect herbivores, plants, and pollinators. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology

  2. Shikano, I., Rosa, C., bTan, C-W. & Felton, G.W. (2017) Tritrophic interactions: microbe-mediated plant effects on insect herbivores. Annual Review of Phytopathology 55:313–331.

  3. Shikano, I. (2017) Evolutionary ecology of multitrophic interactions between plants, insect herbivores and entomopathogens. Journal of Chemical Ecology 42:586–598.

  4. Ment, D., Shikano, I. & Glazer, I. (2017) Abiotic Factors. In: Hajek, A.E. & Shapiro-Ilan, D. (Eds.), Ecology of Invertebrate Diseases. Wiley. (ISBN: 978-1-119-25607-6)

 

Peer-reviewed research publications

  1. Shikano, I., Bellicanta, G.S., Principato, S. & Jenkins, N.E. (2021) Effects of chemical insecticide residues and household surface type on a Beauveria bassiana-based biopesticide (Aprehend®) for bed bug management. Insects 12: 214. Findings summarized on Aprehend.com​

  2. Shikano, I., Woolcott, J., Cloonan, K., Andreadis, S. & Jenkins, N.E. (2021) Biology of mushroom phorid flies, Megaselia halterata (Diptera: Phoridae): effects of temperature, humidity, crowding, and compost stage. Environmental Entomology 50: 149-153.

  3. Shikano, I. (2020) Efficacy of a fungal biopesticide for bed bug management is influenced by the toxicity and associated behavioral avoidance of harborages on insecticide-impregnated box spring cover. Journal of Economic Entomology 113: 2850-2857.

  4. bPan, Q., Shikano, I., Felton, G.W., Liu, T-X. & Hoover, K. (2020) Host permissiveness to baculovirus influences time‐dependent immune responses and fitness costs. Insect Science

  5. Mason, C.J., Ray, S., Shikano, I., Peiffer, M., bJones, A., Luthe, D.S., Hoover, K. & Felton, G.W. (2019) Plant defenses interact with insect enteric bacteria by initiating a leaky gut syndrome. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 116: 15991–15996.

  6. bScholefield, J.A., Shikano, I., Lowenberger, C.A. & Cory, J.S. (2019) The impact of baculovirus challenge on immunity: the effect of dose and time after infection. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 167: 107232.

  7. Shikano, I., aGomez, L., Bellicanta, G. & Jenkins, N. (2019) Persistence and lethality of a fungal biopesticide (Aprehend®) applied to insecticide-impregnated and encasement-type box spring covers for bed bug management. Journal of Economic Entomology 112: 2489–2492.

  8. bPan, Q., Shikano, I., Hoover, K., Liu, T-X. & Felton, G.W. (2019) Pathogen-mediated tritrophic interactions: baculovirus-challenged caterpillars induce higher plant defenses than healthy caterpillars. Journal of Chemical Ecology 45: 515–524.

  9. bPan, Q., Shikano, I., Hoover, K., Liu, T-X. & Felton, G.W. (2019) Enterobacter ludwigii, isolated from the gut microbiota of Helicoverpa zea, promotes tomato plant growth and yield without compromising anti-herbivore defenses. Arthropod-Plant Interactions 13: 271–278.

  10. Shikano, I., bPan, Q., Hoover, K. & Felton, G.W. (2018) Herbivore-induced defenses in tomato plants enhance the lethality of the entomopathogenic bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki. Journal of Chemical Ecology 44: 947–956.

  11. Shikano, I., McCarthy, E.M., Hayes-Plazolles, N., Slavicek, J.M. & Hoover, K. (2018) Jasmonic acid-induced plant defenses delay caterpillar developmental resistance to a baculovirus: Slow-growth, high-mortality hypothesis in plant–insect–pathogen interactions. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 158: 16–23.

  12. Shikano, I., McCarthy, E.M., Elderd, B. & Hoover, K. (2017) Plant genotype and induced defenses affect the productivity of an insect-killing obligate viral pathogen. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 148: 34–42.

  13. Shikano, I., Shumaker, K.L., Peiffer, M., Felton, G.W. & Hoover, K. (2017) Plant-mediated effects on an insect–pathogen interaction vary with intraspecific genetic variation in plant defences. Oecologia 183: 1121–1134.

  14. Shikano, I. & Cory, J.S. (2016) Altered nutrient intake by baculovirus-challenged insects: self-medication or compensatory feeding? Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 139: 25–33.

  15. Shikano, I., aHua, K.N. & Cory, J.S. (2016) Baculovirus-challenge and poor nutrition inflict within-generation fitness costs without triggering transgenerational immune priming. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 136: 35–42.

  16. Shikano, I. & Cory, J.S. (2015) Impact of environmental variation on host performance differs with pathogen identity: implications for host-pathogen interactions in a changing climate. Scientific Reports 5: 15351.

  17. Shikano, I., bOlson, G.L. & Cory, J.S. (2015) Impact of non-pathogenic bacteria on insect disease resistance: importance of ecological context. Ecological Entomology 40: 620–628.

  18. Shikano, I., aOak, M.C., aHalpert-Scanderbeg, O. & Cory, J.S. (2015) Trade-offs between transgenerational transfer of nutritional stress tolerance and immune priming. Functional Ecology 29: 1156–1164.

  19. Shikano, I. & Cory, J.S. (2014) Dietary mechanism behind the costs associated with resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis in the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni. PLoS ONE 9: e105864.

  20. Shikano, I. & Cory, J.S. (2014) Genetic resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis alters feeding behaviour in the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni. PLoS ONE 9: e85709.

  21. Shikano, I., bEricsson, J.D., Cory, J.S. & Myers, J.H. (2010) Indirect plant-mediated effects on insect immunity and disease resistance in a tritrophic system. Basic and Applied Ecology 11: 15–22.

  22. Shikano, I., Akhtar, Y., Isman, M.B. & Rankin, C.H. (2010) Dishabituating long-term memory for gustatory habituation in the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni. Behavioral Neuroscience 124: 701-705.

  23. bMachial, C., Shikano, I., Smirle, M., Bradbury, R. & Isman, M.B. (2010) Evaluation of the toxicity of 17 essential oils against Choristoneura rosaceana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Pest Management Science 66: 1116–1121.

  24. Shikano, I., Akhtar, Y. & Isman, M.B. (2010) Relationship between adult and larval host plant selection and larval performance in the generalist moth, Trichoplusia ni. Arthropod-Plant Interactions 4: 197–205.

  25. Seffrin, R.C., Shikano, I., Akhtar, Y. & Isman, M.B. (2010) Effects of crude seed extracts of Annona atemoya and A. squamosa L. against the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni in the laboratory and greenhouse. Crop Protection 29: 20–24.

  26. Akhtar, Y., Shikano, I. & Isman, M.B. (2009) Topical application of a plant extract to different life stages of Trichoplusia ni fails to influence oviposition behaviour. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 132: 275–282.

  27. Shikano, I. & Isman, M.B. (2009) A sensitive period for larval gustatory learning influences subsequent oviposition choice of the cabbage looper. Animal Behaviour 77: 247–251.