Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Fall Seminar Series Presents:

Dr. Scott Salom of the Department of Entomology at Virginia Tech, will give a talk titled, Long-term research effort on hemlock woolly adelgid biology,
impacts, and management.

Seminar is held at 11 a.m. in Classroom 1223 in the SFWS Building, 602 Duncan Drive, Auburn, AL.

• Faculty, students and the public are invited to attend this free program.
• Complimentary cookies and coffee will be served.
• CFEs are available by request.
• Advanced registration is not required.
• Parking is available on the 3rd and 4th floors of the South Quad parking deck on Duncan Drive, directly across from the SFWS Building. See Parking Services on Level 3 to obtain a visitor pass.

Abstract:  Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) is an invasive insect killing eastern and Carolina hemlocks through an ever expanding range in the eastern U.S. Both tree species lack the ability to tolerate adelgid infestations and no specific natural enemies were present to help regulate the insect’s populations.  A long-term effort has focused on studying the biology of HWA and its natural enemies.  Our lab has focused principally on the study of Derodontid beetles, known adelgid specialists.  The biological control program using these natural enemies will be the focus of this presentation.

Biography:  Scott M. Salom, Professor, Department of Entomology at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA., earned a B.S. (1981) from Iowa State University (Forestry and Pest Management), an M.S. (1985) from University of Arkansas (Entomology), advised by Fred Stephen, and a Ph.D. (1989) from University of British Columbia (Forestry), advised by John McLean.

Scott Salom came to Virginia Tech in 1989 as a post-doc and assumed a tenure-track position in 1993. In the early years his research focused on management of pine reproduction weevils and use of semiochemicals to manage southern pine beetle.  He eventually began to study non-native invasive forest pests, where he and his group have been developing biological control solutions for these problems. This includes studying the organisms in their native and introduced environments, identifying and studying mortality agents such as predatory insects or fungal pathogens, and then incorporating their use into integrated pest management solutions.  He has supervised 13 Ph.D. and 10 M.S. students and currently supervises 3 Ph.D. and 2 M.S. students.

Some recognition of his work includes:

• 2010 Distinguished Alumni Award, Department of Entomology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
• 2009 A. D. Hopkins Award – Southern Forest Insect Work Conference
• 2008 Award for Excellence in Applied Research – College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Virginia Tech
• 2008 Award for Excellence in Integrated Pest Management – Eastern Branch, Entomological Society of America