Carole A. Cheah
Valley Laboratory
The
Voice: (860) 683-4980 Fax: (860) 683-4987
E-mail: Carole.Cheah@ct.gov
Expertise:
I am trained in the research, application, assessment and implementation of the theory and practice of biological control of invasive agricultural and forest pests and weeds. My areas of expertise center on the evaluation of attributes of natural enemies as potential candidates for biological control of the invasive insect pests, hemlock woolly adelgid and elongate hemlock scale threatening the sustainability of eastern hemlock, Tsuga canadensis. My expertise is in the detailed study of the biology, behavior and field adaptation of biological control agents such as the Japanese coccinellid, Sasajiscymnus (=Pseudoscymnus) tsugae, and other predator species, and on the development of improved laboratory mass-rearing methods for them. I also conduct surveys and long-term field assessments of forest hemlock health to monitor the effects of biological control in the context of changing climatic and environmental conditions. I am the author and recipient of over 12 major federal grants from the USDA Forest Service and USDA APHIS for such research and employment over the past decade as a durational research entomologist with The CAES.
Education:
Ph.D. Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, England 1988
M. Phil. (Applied Entomology), Wolfson College, University of Cambridge 1984
B.A. (Hons.) Zoology,
Station Career:
Assistant Agricultural Scientist II 2003- present
Assistant Agricultural Scientist I 2000-2003
Postdoctoral Research Scientist 1994-2000
Past Research:
I have worked on numerous projects evaluating the potential of biological control agents, parasitoids and predators, for pests such as the chrysanthemum leaf-miner, hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), elongate hemlock scale (EHS) and mile-a-minute weed (MAM). Many of the predator species originate from
Current Research:
I am continuing research into the evaluation of plant volatiles as potential attractants for improved field monitoring of Sasajiscymnus tsugae, a Japanese ladybeetle predator of HWA discovered by CAES; development of laboratory methods for culturing native predators of EHS for augmentative biological control, and continuation of the implementation and monitoring in Connecticut of the imported weevil, Rhinoncomimus latipes, for biological control of MAM.
Selected publications available from the author, Carole.Cheah@ct.gov:
Cheah, C. (2021).Collaborative biological control in Connecticut with Sasajiscymnus tsugae, introduced predator of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA). Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 1081. https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/CAES/DOCUMENTS/Publications/Bulletins/B1081.pdf
Cheah, C. (2019).Hemlock Woolly Adelgid webpage for the ConnecticutAgricultural Experiment Station at https://portal.ct.gov/CAES/Publications/Publications/Hemlock-Woolly-Adelgid
Cheah, C. A. S-J. and Ellis, D. R. (2019). Spread of Mile-a-minute vine, Persicaria perfoliata L. (Polgonaceae) to Connecticut islands in Long Island Sound.
Rhodora, 121(987), 219-221. DOI: 10.3119/19-02
Cheah, C. (2019). Climate Impacts on Eastern Hemlock Sustainability. The Habitat, 31(1), 6-7, 13-14. PDF: https://portal.ct.gov/CAES/Publications/Publications/Hemlock-Woolly-Adelgid
Cheah, C. (2019).Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) and other factors impacting eastern hemlock. Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Fact Sheet.
Cheah, C. (2019). Battling Mile-a-minute Weed in Connecticut. The Habitat, 31(2), 6-7.
Cheah, C.A.S.-J. (2017).Predicting winter mortality of hemlock woolly adelgid in Connecticut by climatic divisions. Northeastern Naturalist, 24(Special Issue 7), DOI: 10.1656/045.024.s713 PDF: https://portal.ct.gov/CAES/Publications/Publications/Hemlock-Woolly-Adelgid
Cheah, C. (2016). HWA winter mortality in Connecticut: implications for management and control. Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Fact Sheet. PDF:
Cheah, C. and Li, D. (2016). The Red Bark Phenomenon. Connecticut Agricultural
Experiment Station Fact Sheet. Available online at:
Russo, N. J., Cheah, C.A. S-J., and Tingley, M. W. (2016). Experimental evidence for branch-to-bird transfer as a mechanism of avian dispersal of the hemlock woolly adelgid (Hempitera: Adelgidae). Environmental Entomology, 45, 1107-1114. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvw083
Cohen, A. C and Cheah, C. A.S.-J. (2015). Interim Diets for Specialist Predators of Hemlock Woolly Adelgids. Entomol. Ornithol. Herpetol. 4, 153. DOI:10.4172/2161-0983.1000153
Cohen, A. C. and Cheah, C. (2011).Chap. 14. Development of artificial diets for predators of hemlock woolly adelgids. In: Implementation and Status of Biological Control of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. Tech. Coor. Onken, B. and Reardon, R.
Cohen, A. C., Cheah, C., Kidd, K. and Hodgson, T. (2011). Chap. 13. Defining PC/QC standards of mass-rearing HWA predators. In: Implementation and Status of Biological Control of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. Tech. Coor. Onken, B. and Reardon, R.
Cheah, C. (2011). Chapter 4. Sasajiscymnus (=Pseudoscymnus) tsugae, a ladybeetle from Japan. In: Implementation and Status of Biological Control of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. Tech.Coor. Onken, B. and Reardon, R. USDA Forest Service FHTET Publication FHTET-2011-04 pp. 43-52.
Cohen, A. C. and Cheah, C. (2010). Packaging and Presentation of Artificial Diets for Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Predators In: Proceedings of the Fifth HWA Symposium in the Eastern United States, Asheville, NC, August 17-19. Compilers Onken, B. and Reardon, R. USDA Forest Service FHTET-2010-07. p 33-35.
Cheah, C. (2010).Connecticut’s threatened landscape: natural enemies of biological control of invasive species. Frontiers of Plant Science, 57(2), 5-16
Cheah, C.A.S-J. and McClure, M. S. (2010). Sasajiscymnus (formerly Pseudoscymnus) tsugae (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). In: Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America. A. Shelton. Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Entomology website. http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/biocontrol/predators/sasajiscymnus.html
Cohen, A. C., Cheah, C. A. S-J., Strider, J., and Hain, F. (2008). Diet development for hemlock woolly adelgids and their predators In: Proceedings of the Fourth Symposium on the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid in the Eastern United States, Feb.12-14, 2008,
Cheah, C. (2008). The case for Sasajiscymnus tsugae: Biological control has helped save Connecticut’s hemlocks. Abstract for a poster in Proceedings of the Fourth Symposium on Hemlock Woolly Adelgid in the Eastern United States. Hartford, CT. Feb. 12-14, 2008. Onken, B. O. and Reardon, R. (Compilers) FHTET 2008-01. pp. 279-280. PDF: https://portal.ct.gov/CAES/Publications/Publications/Hemlock-Woolly-Adelgid
Cohen, A. C., Cheah, C. A. S.-J., Strider, J., and Hain, F. (2008). Diet development for hemlock woolly adelgids and their predators. In: Proceedings of the Fourth Symposium on the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid in the Eastern United States, February 12-14, 2008, Hartford, Connecticut. Onken, B. and Reardon, R. (Compilers) FHTET 2008-01 p. 150-156. PDF: https://portal.ct.gov/CAES/Publications/Publications/Hemlock-Woolly-Adelgid
Cheah, C. (2006). Hope for hemlocks. Connecticut Woodlands, 71(3), 13-15. PDF: https://portal.ct.gov/CAES/Publications/Publications/Hemlock-Woolly-Adelgid
Cheah, C. A. S-J., Mayer, M. A., Palmer, D., Scudder, T. and Chianese, R. (2005). Assessments of biological control of hemlock woolly adelgid with Sasajiscymnus tsugae in Connecticut and New Jersey. In: Proceedings of the Third Symposium on the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid in the Eastern United States, Feb.1-3, 2005, Asheville, North Carolina. Onken, B. and Reardon, R. (Compilers) FHTET 2005-01 pp. 116-130.
Cheah, C, Montogmery, M. Salom, S. Parker, B. L., Costa, S. and Skinner, M. (2004). Biological control of hemlock woolly adelgid. USDA Forest Service. FHTET-2002-04, Reardon, R. and B. Onken (Tech. Coordinators), 22 pp.
Cheah, C. A. S-J. and McClure, M. S. (2002).Pseudoscymnus tsugae in Connecticut forests: the first five years. Proceedings of the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Symposium, East Brunswick, NJ, February 5-7. Eds. Onken, B., Reardon, R. Lashomb, J. p. 150-165.
McClure, M. S. and Cheah, C. A. S-J. (2002). Important mortality factors in the life cycle of hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae Annand (Homptera: Adelgidae) in the
Cheah, C. A.S-J. and McClure, M. S.(2000). Seasonal synchrony between the exotic predator, Pseudoscymnus tsugae (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and its prey, the hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae. Agriculture and Forest Entomology, 2, 241-251
McClure, M. S. and Cheah, C. A. S-J. (1999). Reshaping the ecology of invading populations of hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae, (Homoptera: Adelgidae) in eastern
Cheah, C. A. S-J. and McClure, M. S. (1998). Life history and development of Pseudoscymnus tsugae (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), a new predator of the hemlock woolly adelgid (Homoptera: Adelgidae). Environmental Entomology, 27, 1531-1536.
Coaker, T. H. and Cheah, C. A. (1993). Conditioning as a factor in parasitoid host plant preference. Biocontrol Science and Technology, 3, 277-283.
Cheah, C. A. and Coaker, T. H. (1992). Host finding and discrimination in Diglyphus isaea, a parasitoid of the chrysanthemum leaf miner, Chromatomyia syngenesiae. Biocontrol Science and Technology, 2, 109-118.
Cheah, C. S-J. (1987). Temperature requirements of the chrysanthemum leaf miner, Chromatomyia syngenesiae (Dipt.: Agromyzidae), and its ectoparasitoid, Digylyphus isaea (Hym.:Eulophiodae). Entomophaga, 32, 357-365