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Education:
1986 B.S. Zoology and Entomology, University of Stellenbosch
1987 B.S. (Honors) Zoology, University of Stellenbosch
1990 M.S. Entomology, University of Stellenbosch
1997 Ph.D. Zoology and Entomology, University of Natal
My research program addresses the development of environmentally sound pest management options, with emphasis on tropical fruit and nut crops. My main research interest is biological control and its integration with other pest management options. A major component of my interest in biological control understanding how to quantify non-target risks and to plan introductions of biological control agents to have minimal impact on indigenous species, yet maximal impact upon pest populations.
Insect conservation is another of my research interests. Hawai'i provides an interesting location for the study of impacts of agriculture and other disturbances on endemic species. I hope to one day launch some projects on patterns of gall-insect diversity in the islands.
Extension projects include developing sampling plans and thresholds for pests of bananas and macadamia nuts, and training growers in IPM approaches, sampling and insect identification for the purpose of pest scouting. Click here for a short video on green stinkbug sampling. Training in sustainable pest management is also offered as part of a multidisciplinary project.
A Pacific Distance Diagnostics by Digital Imaging and Recommendation System is also being implemented, in an effort to enhance diagnostic and recommendation capacity for isolated islands throughout the Pacific.
I teach courses in biological control of invasive species (PEPS 422), integrated pest management (PEPS 421) and insect ecology (PEPS 671).
Recent
publications (2005 - 2011):
1.
Wright, M.G. 2011.
Pineapple, insects; ecology and management. Encyclopedia of Pest Management. In Press.
2.
Vorsino, A.E., Wieczorek, A.M., Wright,
M.G. & Messing, R.H. 2011. Using
Evolutionary tools to facilitate the Prediction and Prevention of Host-Based
Differentiation in Biological Control: A review and perspective. Annals
of Applied Biology, Accepted pending revision.
3.
Hooks, C.R.R., Wang, K-H., Pradhan, N., Manandhar, R., Wright M.G. & Vorsino, A.E. 2011. Population
Distribution and Density of Pentalonia
nigronervosa (Hemiptera: Aphididae) within Banana Mats: Influence of Plant
Age and Height on Sampling and Management. Journal
of Economic Entomology 104: 947-955.
4.
Kaufman, L.V. & Wright, M.G.
2011. Ecological correlates of the non-indigenous parasitoid assemblage
associated with a Hawaiian endemic moth. Oecologia
In press.
5.
Burbano, E.G., Wright, M.G.,
& Vega, F. 2011. First report of coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus
hampei, In Hawaii. Journal of Insect
Science In press.
6.
Kaufman, L.V. & Wright, M.G. 2010. Parasitism of a Hawaiian endemic moth by invasive
and purposefully introduced Hymenoptera species. Environmental Entomology 39: 430-439.
7.
Rubinoff, D., Holland, B.S.,
Shibata, A., Messing, R.H. & Wright, M.G. 2009. Rapid invasion despite extremely low
genetic diversity in the invasive Erythrina Gall Wasp (Quadrastichus
erythrinae Kim, Delvare and La Salle
2004). Pacific Science 64: 23-31.
8.
Follett, P.A., Wright, M.G.
& Golden, M. 2009. Nezara
viridula feeding patterns in
macadamia nut in Hawaii: nut maturity and cultivar effects. Environmental
Entomology. 38: 1168-1173.
9.
Hooks, C.R.R., Fukuda, S.,
Perez, E.A., Manandhar, R., Wang, K.H., Wright,
M.G. & Almeida, R.P.P. 2009. Aphid transmission of Banana bunchy top
virus to bananas after treatment with a bananacide. Journal
of Economic Entomology 102: 493-499.
10.
Kaufman, L.V. & Wright,
M.G. 2009. Life history, seasonal phenology and parasitism of the Hawaiian
endemic moth Udea stellata (Lepidoptera:
Crambidae). Annals of the Entomological
Society of America 102: 104-111.
11.
Kaufman, L.V. & Wright, M.G. 2009. The impact of exotic parasitoids on populations
of a native Hawaiian moth assessed using life table studies.
Oecologia 159: 295-304.
12.
Manandhar, R., Hooks, C.R.R., Wright,
M.G. 2009. Influence
of cover crop and intercrop systems on Bemisia argentifolli (Hemiptera:
Aleyrodidae) infestation and associated Squash Silverleaf Disorder in zucchini. Environmental
Entomology 38: 442-229.
13.
Vorsino,
A., Wieczorek, A., Wright, M.G., Ramadan, M. & Messing, R. 2009.
Using molecular tools to identify and describe ecological and evolutionary
processes affecting augmentative biological control. Proceedings
of the Third International Symposium on Biological Control of Arthropods. P.G.
Mason, D.R. Gillespie and C. Vincent (Eds.).
pp. 124-133. (Invited paper)
14.
Hooks, C.R.R., Wright, M.G., Kabasawa, D., Manandahr, R. & Almeida, R.P.P.
2008. Effect of Banana Bunchy Top Virus infection on morphology and growth
characteristics of banana. Annals of
Applied Biology 153: 1-9.
15.
Leonhardt, K.W.,
Littleton, T.E., & Wright, M.G.
2008. Evaluation of Leucopsermum hybrids
for warm-temperature tolerance. Acta
Horticulturae (ISHS) 805: 81-92.
16.
Le Roux, J.J., Wieczorek,
A.M, Wright, M.G. & Tran, C.T. 2007. Super-genotype: global
monoclonality defies the odds of nature. PloS ONE 2(7):
e590. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0000590. 9 pp.
17.
Robson,
J.D., Wright, M.G., and Almeida, R.P.P. 2007. Effect
of imidacloprid foliar treatment and banana leaf age on Pentalonia
nigronervosa (Hemiptera, Aphididae) survival.
New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science 35: 415-422.
18.
Wright, M.G., Follett,
P.A. & Golden, M. 2007. Long-term
patterns and feeding sites of southern green stink bug (Hemiptera:
Pentatomidae) in Hawaii macadamia orchards, and sampling for management
decisions. Bulletin of
Entomological Research 97:
569-575.
20.
Englund, R.A., Wright, M.G.
& Polhemus, D.A. 2007. Aquatic insect taxa as indicators of aquatic species
richness, habitat disturbance, and invasive species impacts in Hawaiian streams.
Bishop Museum Bulletins
in Cultural and Environmental Studies.
3: 205-230.
21.
Robson, J.D., Wright, M.G. & Almeida, R.P.P. 2006. Within-plant spatial
distribution and binomial sampling of Pentalonia
nigronervosa Coquerel (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on banana in Hawai'i. Journal
of Economic Entomology. 99: 2185-2190.
22.
Messing, R.H. & Wright, M.G. 2006. Biological control of invasive species: solution
or pollution? Frontiers in Ecology and
Environment 4: 132-140.
23.
Golden, M., Follett, P.A. & Wright, M.G. 2006. Assessing Nezara
viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) feeding damage in macadamia nuts using a
biological stain. Journal of Economic
Entomology 99: 822-827.
24.
Wright,
M.G.
2005. Biological control in IPM systems in Africa. American
Entomologist (Book Review) 51: 249.
25.
Wright, M.G.,
Hoffmann, M.P., Kuhar, T.P., Gardner, J. & Pitcher, S.A. 2005. Evaluating
risks of biological control introductions: a probabilistic risk-assessment
approach. Biological Control 35: 338-347.
26.
Wright, M.G. & Diez,
J.M. 2005. Coconut scale (Aspidiotus
destructor: Diaspididae) seasonal occurrence, dispersion and sampling on
banana in Hawai'i. International Journal
of Tropical Insect Science 25: 80-85.
27.
Young,
C.A. & Wright, M.G. 2005.
Seasonal and spatial distribution of banana aphids in banana plantations on
Oahu. Proceedings of the Hawaiian
Entomological Society 37: 73-80.
28.
Vorsino, A., Taniguchi, G.Y. & Wright,
M.G. 2005. Opogona
sacchari (Lepidoptera: Tineidae), a new pest of pineapple in Hawai'i. Proceedings
of the Hawaiian Entomological Society
37: 97-98.
29.
Wright,
M.G., Kuhar, T.P., Diez, J.M.
& Hoffmann, M.P. 2005. Effective augmentative biological control –
importance of natural enemy dispersal, host location, and post-release
assessment. International Symposium on Biological Control of Arthropods, USDA
Forest Service, Publication FHTET-2005-08. pp. 495-500. (Invited paper).
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