University of Hawai‘i at Manoa
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Last updated on Thursday, March 9, 2023    Make updates ->

Mark G. Wright

Name :

Mark G. Wright

Title :

Prof of Entomology and Extension specialist

Unit :

Department of Plant & Environmental Protection Sciences

Address :

3050 Maile Way Rm. 310
                  Honolulu, HI 96822

Room :

Gilmore Hall 511A

Phone :

(808) 956-7670

Fax :

(808) 956-2428

E-mail :

markwrig@hawaii.edu

Website :

https://wrightlabuh.weebly.com

Specialties :

Cover cropping, nematology, soil health management, agroecology, sustainable pest management

Professional Prep/Appointments :


B.Sc. (1984-1986), Institution: University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. 
B.Sc. (Honours) (1987): Major: Zoology; Institution: University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. 
M.Sc. (1988-1990): Major: Entomology; Institution: University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. 
Ph.D. (1992-1996): Zoology/Entomology; Institution: University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg.
Post-Doctoral Fellowship (1999-2001): Cornell University, Department of Entomology.


Projects :


Elucidation of mechanisms associated with effective establishment of biological control agents; 
Development of probabilistic risk assessment procedures for biological control introductions; 
Management of key pests of macadamia nut and coffee; 
Trichogramma for augmentative biocontrol; 
Development of economic injury levels for tropic fruit and nut crops;
Erythrina gall wasp biological control;
Insect/elephant/tree interactions, use of bee pheromones in elephant management (in RSA).


Courses Taught:


http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/wrightm/courses.htm

Research/Academic Interests :


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.

Recent Publications :


(Last 5 years)  All publications: Google scholar. 

Book chapters, Reviewed conference proceedings, Book reviews:  

  1.  Day, M., Cock, M., Furlong, M., Paynter, Q., Ramadan, M., Wright, M.G. 2020. Biological control success and failures: Australasian region (Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Pacific islands, Hawaii). In: Biological control: A global endeavor. CSIRO Publishing. (In press)
  2. Wright, M.G. 2017. Assessing host use and population level impacts on non-target species by introduced natural enemies: can host range testing provide insight? Proceedings of the 5thInternational Symposium on Biological Control of Arthropods. Malaysia. P.G. Mason, D.R. Gillespie and C. Vincent (Eds.). CAB International. 50-51.
  3. Wright, M.G. 2015. Proteas. In: Insects of Cultivated Plants and Natural Pastures in Southern Africa. Prinsloo, G.L. & Uys, V.M. (Eds). Entomological Society of Southern Africa, Pretoria: 680-695. (Invited contribution.)
  4. Wright, M.G. 2014. Biological control of invasive insect pests. In: Integrated Pest Management – Current concepts and ecological perspective. Ed. Abrol, D.P. Publisher: Elsevier Academic Press. pp. 267-281. (Invited contribution.)
  5. Kaufman, L.V., Wright, M.G., Yalemar, J. & Messing, R.H. 2013. Biological control of the Erythrina gall wasp: protecting a native keystone forest species in Hawaii. Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Biological Control of Arthropods, Pucón, Chile. Peter G. Mason, David R. Gillespie & Charles Vincent Eds. pp. 72-74. (Invited paper).

Peer-reviewed scientific journals:

  1. Kaufman, L.V., Yalemar, J., & Wright, M.G. 2020. Classical biological control of the erythrina gall wasp, Quadrastichus erythrinae, in Hawaii: conserving an endangered habitat. Biological Control 142 (In press).
  2. Wright, M.G. Cover crops, conservation biocontrol and augmentative releases – can Trichogramma impacts be magnified? Annals of the Entomological Society of America 112: 295-29.
  3. Guitierrez, R., Pulakkatu-thodi, I., & Wright, M.G. 2018. Binomial Sequential Sampling Plan for Macadamia Felted Coccid, Eriococcus ironsidei (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae) Infesting Hawaii Macadamia Orchards. Environmental Entomology DOI: 10.1093.ee/nvy160.
  4. Wright, M.G., Spencer, C.R., Cook, R.M., Henley, M.D., North, W. & Mafra-Neto, A. 2018. African bush elephants response to a honeybee alarm semiochemical blend. Current Biology 28: R778-780.
  5. Gutierrez-Coarite, R., Mollinedo, J, Cho, A., Wright, M.G. 2018. Canopy management of macadamia trees and understory plant diversification to reduce macadamia felted coccid (Eriococcus ironsidei) populations. Crop Protection113: 75-83.
  6. Pulakkatu-thodi, I., Gutierrez-Coarite, R., & Wright, M.G. 2018. Dispersion and sequential sampling plan for coffee berry borer (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) infestations in Hawaii. Environmental Entomology (In press online early: doi: 10.1093/ee/nvy098).
  7. Greco, E., Wright, M.G., Burgueno, J., & Jaronski, S. 2018. Efficacy of Beauveria bassianaapplications on coffee berry borer across an elevation gradient in Hawaii. Biocontrol Science & Technology  https://doi.org/10.1080/09583157.2018.1493088
  8. Gutierrez-Coarite, R., Heller, W.P., Wright, M.G., Mollinedo, J., Keith, L., Sugiyama, L, & Chun, S. 2018. Entomopathogenic fungi as mortality factors of macadamia felted coccid (Eriococcus ironsidei) in Hawaii. Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society 50: 9-16.
  9. Gutierrez-Coarite, R., Yoneishi, N., Mollinedo, J., Pulakkattu-thodi, I., Wright, M.G., & Geib, S. 2018. PCR-based gut content analysis to detect predation of Eriococcus ironsidei(Hemiptera: Eriococcidae) by Coccinellidae species in macadamia nut orchards in Hawaii. Journal of Economic EntomologyDOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toy019.
  10. Wright, M.G. & Bennett, G.B. 2018. Evolution of biological control agents following introduction to new environments. BioControl 63: 105-116. First online July 2017: DOI 10.1007/s10526-017-9830-z
  11. Manandhar, R., Wang, K.H., Hooks, C.R.R. & Wright, M.G. 2017. Effects of strip-tilled cover cropping on the population density of thrips and predatory insects in a cucurbit agroecosystem. Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology 20: 1254-1259.
  12. Pulakkatu-thodi, I., Guitierrez, R. & Wright, M.G. 2017. Comparison of sampling intensity to estimate infestations of coffee berry borer on Hawaii island. Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society 49: 11-16.
  13. Kaufman, L.V. & Wright, M.G. 2017. Assessing probabilistic risk assessment approaches for insect biological control introductions. Insects 8(3), 67. (Special Issue Biological Control of Invertebrate Pests.) doi:10.3390/insects8030067
  14. Zarders, D.R. & Wright, M.G. 2016. Macadamia felted coccid, Eriococcus ironsidei: biology and life cycle in Hawaii. Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society 48: 51-55.
  15. Manandhar, R. & Wright, M.G. 2016. Within-field spatial distribution of corn planthopper, Peregrinus maidis(Hemiptera: Delphacidae), and severity of hopperburn and Maize mosaic virus symptoms as influenced by sunn hemp intercropping. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata161: 121-130. DOI: 10.1111/eea.12498.
  16. Lu, B., Jin, Q., Wen, H., Bellis, G.A., Wright, M.G., Peng, Z., Wan, J., Guo, D. 2016. Biological, physiological and genetic response of Tetrastichus brontispae (Ferriere) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) following exposure to low temperature. BioControl 61: 649-659. DOI 10.1007/s10526-016-9757-9.
  17. Manandhar, R. & Wright, M.G. 2016. Effects of interplanting flowering plants on the biological control of corn earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in sweet corn. Journal of Economic Entomology 109: 113-119.
  18. Leblanc, L., San Jose, M., Wright, M.G. & Rubinoff, D. 2015. Declines in biodiversity and the emergence of pest species across land use gradients in Southeast Asia. Landscape Ecology31:505-516. (DOI 10.1007/s10980-015-0276-3).
  19. Greco, E.B. & Wright, M.G. 2015. Ecology, biology and management of the black twig borer (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) with emphasis on coffee in Hawaii. Journal of Integrated Pest Management 6(1) 7; DOI: 10.1093/jipm/pmv007.
  20. Manandhar, R., Wright, M.G. 2015. Enhancing biological control of corn earworm, Helicoverpa zeaand thrips through habitat management and inundative release of Trichogramma pretiosumin corn cropping systems. Biological Control 89: 84-90.
  21. Tavares, J.M., Villalobos, E.M. & Wright, M.G. 2015. Contribution of insect pollination to Macadamia integrifoliaproduction in Hawaii. Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society 47: 35-49.
  22. Benelli, G., Messing, R.H., Wright, M.G., Giunti, G., Kavallieratos, N.G. & Canale, A. 2014. Cues triggering mating and host-seeking behavior in the aphid parasitoid Aphidius colemani(Hymenoptera: Braconidae; Aphidiinae): implications for biological control programs. Journal of Economic Entomology 107: 2005-2022.
  23. Vorsino, A.E., Wieczorek, A.M., Wright, M.G., Messing, R.H. 2014. Genetic analysis of an introduced biological control agent reveals temporal and geographic change, with little evidence of a host mediated shift. Biological Control 77: 41-50.
  24. Leblanc L., Rubinoff, D. Wright M.G. 2013. Conservation implications of changes in endemic Hawaiian Drosophilidae diversity across land use gradients. PLoS ONE8(5): e62464. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0062464.
  25. Benelli, G., Giunti, G., Messing, R.H. & Wright, M.G. 2013. Visual and olfactory female-borne cues evoke male courtship in the aphid parasitoid Aphidius colemani Viereck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Journal of Insect Behavior 26: 695-707.
  26. Greco, E.G. & Wright, M.G. 2013. Dispersion and sequential sampling plan for Xylosandrus compactus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) infesting Hawaii coffee plantations. Environmental Entomology 42: 277-282.




Languages :


English, Afrikaans