Valley Laboratory
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
153 Cook Hill Road
Windsor, CT 06095
Voice: (860) 683-4983 Fax: (860) 683-4987
E-mail: Richard.Cowles@po.state.ct.us 

Expertise:
Expert in the area of biology and management of white grubs (Japanese beetle, oriental beetle, European chafer, Asiatic garden beetle and black turfgrass ataenius), black vine weevil, twospotted spider mite, giant palm borer and western poplar clearwing borer. Experienced in the uses of conventional and new insecticides for the management of nursery, turf and landscape pests.

Education:
B.S. Entomology Cornell University 1982
M.S. Entomology Michigan State University 1986
Ph.D. Entomology Michigan State University 1990

Station career:
Assistant Scientist, Associate Scientist and Scientist, Valley Laboratory, 1994 – present
Agricultural Scientist

Past research:
Previous research has involved behavioral manipulation of pests to effect a more favorable distribution of egg-laying into diversionary crops, identification of a clearwing borer pheromone, and chemical or biological control of several strawberry, floriculture, nursery, landscape, and forestry pests. A special focus developed alternatives to pot dip treatments to protect container-grown nursery plants from soil-dwelling larvae.

Current research:
Current research efforts are directed toward improved management of black vine weevil, various white grub species, twospotted spider mites, various Christmas tree pests, and insects affecting hemlocks in forests. Projects include optimizing chemical control of hemlock woolly adelgid, biological control of elongate hemlock scale, and conventional breeding of strawberries for enhanced tolerance to black vine weevil and black root rot.

Selected publications available from author, Richard.Cowles@po.state.ct.us  

• Cowles, R. S. 2009. Optimizing dosage and preventing leaching of imidacloprid for management of hemlock woolly adelgid in forests.  Forest Ecology and Management 257: 1026 – 1033. 

• Cowles, R. S.  2004.  Susceptibility of strawberry cultivars to the vine weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Agric. & Forest Entomol.  6: 279 – 284.  

• Cowles, R. S.  2004.  Effects of azadirachtin on the reproduction of the vine weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Agric. & Forest Entomol. 6: 291 – 294.  

• Cowles, R. S.  2003.  Practical black vine weevil management.  J. Amer. Rhododendron Soc. 57: 219 – 221, 224.  

• Cowles, R. S.  2003.  Modeling the effectiveness of bifenthrin for protecting container-grown crops from Japanese and oriental beetle larvae.  J. Environ. Hort. 21: 78 – 81.  

• Cowles, R. S.  2001.  Protecting container-grown crops from black vine weevil larvae with bifenthrin.  J. Environ. Hort.  19: 184-189.  

• Cowles, R. S., E. A. Cowles, A. M. McDermott, and D. Ramoutar.  2000.  “Inert” formulation ingredients with activity: toxicity of trisiloxane surfactant solutions to twospotted spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae).  J. Econ. Entomol. 93: 180-188.