Rodrigo Diaz

Contact information

Rodrigo Diaz

Research Assistant

Indian River Research and Education Center

2199 South Rock Road

Fort Pierce, FL 34945

Phone: 772-467-6029 x228

Fax: 772-460-3673

Email: rrdg@ufl.edu

Research Area

Ecology of West Indian Marsh Grass (Hymenachne amplexicaulis) in Florida. Evaluation of Ischnodemus variegatus as potential biological control agent of Hymenachne amplexicaulis.

SEE - HYMENACHNE WEBSITE

Relevant Work Experience

2001-2003: Texas A&M University, College Station

Research assistant in the Department of Entomology
Thesis project: “Impact of the Red Imported Fire Ant on beneficial insects and key pests in cotton”

Sampling and identification of natural enemies in cotton fields and evaluation of its impact upon cotton key pests
Lab experience in rearing lepidopteran pests for experiments
Identification of beneficial insects collected in different types of traps

1999-2000: University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Research assistant in the Center for Economic Entomology.
Physiological studies of the parasitoid Cotesia spp. reared on different hosts
Rearing, releasing and evaluating natural enemies for biological control of exotic weeds (Purple loosestrife)
Processing samples and identification of beneficial insects collected in pitfall traps in northern Illinois
Instruction and training of teachers and high school students on biological means for pest control

1996-1999: Escuela Agricola Panamericana, El Zamorano, Honduras

Research assistant in the Department of Entomology.
Sampling, collecting, rearing, releasing and evaluating natural enemies of corn’s mayor pest in Honduras.
Thesis: “Biological Control of corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea (Boddie)) in sweet corn produced in Zamorano”.
Theoretical and practical training in the production and management of agronomic crops, vegetables, fruits, forest and ornamentals in the tropics
Theoretical and practical training in the processing and merchandising of agricultural products including fruits, vegetables and ornamentals.

Publications

Díaz, R., Knutson, A. and Bernal, J. 2002. Impacts of the Red Imported Fire Ant upon Cotton Aphids and Noctuids Eggs. Proceedings of the Third California Conference on Biological Control pp. 125-128, University of California -Davis, Davis, California.

Alleyne, M. Wiedenmann, R. and R. Diaz. 2001. Quantification and development of teratocites in novel-association host-parasitoid combinations. Journal of Insect Physiology 47, 1419-1427.

R. Díaz G., A. Knutson y J. Bernal, 2002. Impacto de la hormiga de fuego importada Solenopsis invicta (Buren), en áfidos y noctuidos en campos de algodón. En Romero N., J., E. G. Estrada V. y A. Equihua M. (Eds.), Entomología Mexicana Vol 1. 236-237.

Díaz, R., Knutson, A. and Bernal, J. 2003. Impacts of the Red Imported Fire Ant on cotton arthropods (to be submitted).

Díaz, R., Knutson, A. and Bernal, J. 2004. Effect of the Red Imported Fire Ant on Cotton Aphid Population Density and Predation of Bollworm and Beet Armyworm Eggs. Journal of Economic Entomology. 97, 222-229.

Wiedenmann, R. N., Diaz, R. and Sadoff, C. S. Ground Beetle Assemblages in Mulched and Non-mulched Garden Plots. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 77, 99–109.

Links of Interest

Escuela Agricola Panamericana. Zamorano.

www.zamorano.edu/

CATALOGUE OF NEW WORLD GRASSES (Poaceae)

http://mobot.mobot.org/W3T/Search/nwgc.html

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants

http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu/

Wetlands International

http://www.wetlands.org/

Small Format Aerial Photography

http://academic.emporia.edu/aberjame/airphoto/blimp/blimp.htm

Directory of Entomology Departments and Institutes