Agricultural and Life Sciences (IFAS)
Strawberry and Small Fruit Crops Entomology lab
Led by Sriyanka Lahiri · Entomology and Nematology
What we study
The lab studies pests of strawberry and other small fruits like blackberry, using methods like biological control with mites and insects, reflective mulch, and insecticide resistance monitoring. They focus on invasive pests like chilli thrips and twospotted spider mites.
What working here is like
- Wet lab
- Other insects
- Plants
- Projects
- 3
- Papers
- 5
Current projects
Biological control using predatory mites and insects
Tests the use of predatory mites and insects as natural enemies to manage strawberry pests such as chilli thrips.
Cultural control: Reflective mulch and banker plants
Tests cultural pest controls in strawberry fields, using reflective mulch and companion banker plants to reduce pest pressure.
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Insecticide resistance monitoring and management
Tracking resistance to pesticides and developing management strategies.
Summaries are written by AI in plain language from public symposium abstracts and may be imperfect.
Recent papers, explained
- Efficacy of Burkholderia rinojensis strain A396 and cyflumetofen against Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) in strawberry, 2025
2026 · Arthropod management tests
- Thrips species complex in relay-cropped strawberry–Jalapeño pepper fields in Hillsborough County, Florida
2026 · Florida Entomologist
Finds four thrips species in Florida strawberry-pepper fields, with whole-plant sampling best for detecting them.
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- Explainable Deep Learning and Edge Inference for Chilli Thrips Severity Classification in Strawberry Canopies
2026 · Agriculture
Tests whether deep learning and XAI can classify chilli thrips in strawberry canopies without needing experts.
- A Herbivory-Induced Volatile Disrupts Host Selection by Chilli Thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis, on Strawberry
2026 · Journal of Chemical Ecology
Found that herbivory-induced volatiles affect chilli thrips' host selection on strawberries.
- Photosynthetic performance of water hyacinth as affected by Neochetina spp. and Megamelus scutellaris herbivory
2026 · Biocontrol Science and Technology
Measured how water hyacinth photosynthesis changes under herbivory by Neochetina spp. and Megamelus scutellaris.
Plain-language summaries are AI-written and reviewed by us; check the paper for details.
How to reach out
Sriyanka Lahiri hasn't set up this page yet. Their UF Scholars profile lists their publications.