Olivia Andrews

Dissertation Title: Systematic release/recovery and competition studies of Leucotaraxis silver flies, predators of hemlock woolly adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae)

Research Interests: My research is focused on biological control of the invasive forest pest, Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. I work with specialist predators of HWA, Leucotaraxis silver flies and Laricobius beetles. I am working to establish populations of the silver flies at various sites in Virginia and Maryland. With the release of these flies into the environment where the Laricobius beetles are already established I am also interested in any competition between these two predators so I am also assessing interspecific competition in laboratory assays.