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Everglades Research and Education Center

Everglades Research and Education Center

Dr. Ronald H. Cherry

EMERITUS Professor, Entomology & Nematology

Specialty: Entomology

Dr. Ron Cherry has been working as an entomologist at the EREC since 1982.  He is an author of 160 refereed publications and/or book chapters.  Besides insects he has a diverse zoological background having published on mammals (prairie voles), birds (egrets) and reptiles (alligators).  The main focus of his research at the EREC has been and still is insect pests of sugarcane and rice.  As a side hobby, he is also a world expert on insect mythology.

Program Areas

  • Research
    • Integrated control of insect pests in Florida sugarcane:

      Research is conducted on insect pests and beneficial insects found in Florida sugarcane fields.  This research involves insecticide trials, cultural control such as controlled flooding, spatial distribution of insects and sampling and survey methods.  Currently much of my focus is on wireworms as sugarcane pests.

    • Integrated control of insect pests in Florida rice:

      Research is conducted on insect pests and beneficial insects found in Florida rice fields.  This research involves insecticide trials, cultural control such as weed control, spatial distribution of insects and sampling and survey methods.  Currently my focus is on a three species complex of stink bugs attacking Florida rice.

  • Graduate Students

    Mike Karounos, MS Student

    Mike works as a biologist in Dr. Cherry’s lab, and in 2015, decided to pursue his Master's thesis in entomology. His thesis is on the feeding ecology of the corn wireworm, Melanotus communis, which is an important pest of several crops.  He is studying the feeding behavior of the wireworm, Melanotus communis, a common subterranean beetle larvae pest of sugarcane in southern Florida. The population of click beetle larvae in southern Florida is a unique, nearly year round research source. Research of this insect involves characterizing the roles of temperature, the soil environment, and weeds found in the larvae’s natural setting in affecting feeding rates and feeding frequency.

  • Publications

    Extension Publications (EDIS)

    • Aristizabal, L., Y. Chen, R. Cherry, R. Cave and S. Arthurs.   Efficacy of biorational insecticides against chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), infesting roses under nursery conditions.  J. Appl. Entomol.  Online.
    • Larsen, N., G. Nuessly and Cherry. 2016.  Efficacy of pyrethroid and neonicotinoid insecticides for Melanotus communis (Gyl.) (Coleoptera: Elateridae) control in Florida sugarcane (Saccharum spp.).  J. Appl. Entomol. 140: 517-526.
    • Cherry, R., J. M. McCray, and H. Sandhu. 2016. Changes in the relative abundance of soil insect pests in Florida sugarcane. J. Entomological Sci. (Accepted).
    • Cherry, R., M. Karounos, and B. Sakr. 2016. Rice water weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) damage in Florida rice fields.  J. Entomol. Sci. 51: 219-225.
    • Cherry, R., M. McCray, and H.S. Sandhu. 2016. Changes in the relative abundance of soil insect pests in Florida sugarcane. J. Entomol. Sci. (Accepted).
    • Cherry, R., H. Lu and P. Roberts. Southern chinch bugs (Hemiptera: Blissidae) increase severity of plant disease in St. Augustinegrass. J. Entomol. Sci. 50: 28-34.
    • Odero, D., Cherry, A. Wright, H. Sandhu and Y. Luo. 2015. Woody host plants of the sugarcane root weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Florida sugarcane. J. Entomol. Sci. 50: 3-13.
    • Tofangsazi, N., Cherry, R. Beeson and S. Arthurs. 2015. Concentration-response and residual activity of insecticides to control Herpetogramma phaeopteralis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in St. Augustinegrass. J. Econ. Entomol. 108: 730-735.
    • Rangasamy, M., H. McAuslane, E. Backus and Cherry. 2015. Differential probing behavior of Blissus insularis (Hemiptera: Blissidae) on resistant and susceptible St. Augustinegrasses. J. Econ. Entomol. 108: 780-788.
    • Cherry, R. Insects and divine intervention. Amer. Entomol. 61: 81-84.
    • Lu, H., R. Nagata, K. Kenworthy, Cherry, K. Quesenberry and P. Busey. 2015. Registration of "NUF-76" St. Augustinegrass. J. Plant Registrations. 9: 299
    • Arthurs, S., C. Morales-Reyes, and Cherry. 2015. Trap design for lovebugs, Plecia nearctica (Diptera: Bibionidae). Fl. Ent. 98: 892-898.
    • Cherry, R., M. Tootoonchi, J. Bhadha, T. Lang, M. Karounos and S. Daroub. 2015. Effect of flood depth on rice water weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) populations in Florida rice fields. J. Entomol. Sci. 50: 311-317.
    • Lu, Huangjun and Ron Cherry. 2012. New sources of Southern Chinch Bug (Hemiptera : Blissidae) resistance in St. Augustinegrass varieties. J. Entomol. Sci. 47(4): 291-296.
    • Boucias, Drion G., Alejandra Garcia-Maruniak, Ron Cherry, Huangjun Lu, James E. Maruniak, and Verena-Ulrike Lietze. 2012. Detection and Characterization of Bacterial Symbionts in the Heteropteran, Blissus insularis. FEMS microbiology Ecology 82: 629-641.
    • Cherry, R., H. Lu, A. Wright, P. Roberts, and Y. Luo.  2012.  Effect of silicon on resistance of St. Augustinegrass to southern chinch bugs (Hemiptera: Blissidae) and plant disease.  J. Entomol. Sci. 47: 17-26.
    • Borkhataria, R., G. Nuessly, E. Pearlstine, and Cherry.  2012.  Effects of blackbirds (Agelaius phoenicius) on stink bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) populations, damage, and yield in Florida rice. Florida Entomol. 95: 143-149.
    • Arthurs, S., N. Tofangsazi, R. Meagher and Cherry.  2012.  Attraction of Plecia nearctica (Diptera: Bibionidae) to floral lures containing phenylacetaldehyde.  Florida Entomol. 95: 199-201.
    • Scully, B., R. Nagata, Cherry, G. Nuessly, L. Trenholm, K. Kenworthy, B. Schwartz, and J. Unruh.  2012.  Registration of Ultimate Zoysiagrass.  J. Plant Registrations.  6: 71-74.
    • Cherry, R., D. Hall, A. Wilson, and L. Baucum.  2011.  First report of damage by the sugarcane root weevil, Diaprepes abbreviatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to Florida sugarcane.  Florida Entomologist.  94: 1063-1065.
    • Scully, B., R. Nagata, D. Sistrunk, Cherry, G. Nuessly, K. Kenworthy, and J. DeFrank.  2011.  Registration of Aloha seashore paspalum.  J. Plant Registrations.  5: 22-26.
    • Cherry, R. Distribution of Eumicrosoma benefica (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) in southern chinch bug (Hemiptera: Blissidae) populations.  Florida Entomologist.  94(2): 352-353.
    • Cherry, R. and A. Wilson.  2011.  Flight activity of stink bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) pests of Florida rice.  Florida Entomologist. 94: 359-360.
    • Cherry, R. Insects and death.  Amer. Entomol. 57(2): 82-85.
    • Cherry, R., A. Wright, R. Raid, and Y. Luo.  2011.  Effect of fertilization  on resistance of Captiva St. Augustinegrass to southern chinch bugs (Hemiptera: Blissidae) and gray leaf spot disease.  J. Entomol. Science. 46: 96-101.
    • Sandhu, H., G. Nuessly, Cherry, R. Gilbert, and S. Webb.  2011.  Effects of Elasmopalpus lignosellus (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) damage on sugarcane yield.  J. Econ. Entomol. 104: 474 – 483.
    • Sandhu, H., G. Nuessly, Cherry, R. Gilbert, and S. Webb.  2011.  Effects of harvest residue and tillage on lesser cornstalk borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) damage to sugarcane.  J. Econ. Entomol. 104: 155-163.
    • Sandhu, H., G. Nuessly, S. Webb, Cherry, and R. Gilbert.  2010.  Life table studies of  Elasmopalpus lignosellus (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on sugarcane.  Environ. Entomol. 39: 2025 – 2032.
    • Cherry, R. From Africa to reggae: the Anansi connection.  American Entomologist. 56: 70-72.
    • Cherry, R., and G. Nuessly.  2010.  Establishment of a new stink bug pest, Oebalus insularis (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Florida rice.  Florida Entomologist. 93: 291 – 293.
    • Sandhu, H., G. Nuessly, S. Webb, Cherry, and R. Gilbert.  2010.  Temperature dependent development of  Elasmopalpus lignosellus (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on sugarcane under laboratory conditions.  Environ. Entomol. 39: 1012-1020.
    • Cherry, R., and G. Nuessly.  2010.  Repellency of the biopesticide, Azadirachtin, to wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae).  Florida Entomologist. 93: 52-55.
    • Cherry, R., M. Fefer, and Jun Liu.  2010.  Effect of Clear Choice Herbicide on tropical sod webworms (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in St. Augustinegrass.  J. Entomol. Science. 45: 44-50.
    • Cherry, R. and P. Stansly.  2009.  Impact on yield of wireworm (Coleoptera: Elateridae) populations in Florida sugarcane at planting.  J. Amer. Soc. Sugar Cane Tech. 29:137-148.
    • Rangasamy, M., B. Rathinasabapathi, H. McAuslane, Cherry, and R. Nagata.  2009.  Oxidative responses of St. Augustinegrass to feeding of southern chinch bug, Blissus insularis Barber.  J. Chem. Ecology. 35: 796-805.
    • Cherry, R., and C. Rainbolt.  2009.  Atrazine impacts on arthropods in St. Augustinegrass.  J. Entomol. Science. 44: 85-88.
    • Rangasamy, M., B. Rathinasabapathi, H. McAuslane, Cherry, and R. Nagata.  2009.  Role of leaf sheath lignification and anatomy in resistance against southern chinch bug (Hemiptera: Blissidae) in St. Augustinegrass.  J. Econ. Entomol. 102: 432-439.
    • Cherry, R. Water management: flooding (control of insects by flooding).  Pages 1-3 in Encyclopedia of Pest Management.  Edited by D. Pimentel.  Taylor and Francis.  London.
    • Cherry, R. and P. Stansly.  2008.  Abundance and spatial distribution of wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) in Florida sugarcane fields on muck versus sandy soils.  Florida Entomologist.  91: 383-387.
    • Rainbolt, C. and Cherry.  2008.  Effect of weed control on wireworm (Coleoptera: Elateridae) populations in fallow fields in southern Florida.  J. Entomol. Science.  43: 138-140.

Contact

Dr. Ron Cherry

Everglades Research & Education Center
Wedgworth Lab. Bldg. Rm. #139
3200 East Palm Beach Road
Belle Glade, FL 33430-4702

Phone: (561) 993-1529
Email: rcherry@ufl.edu

Entomology & Nematology