Connecticut State The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

Jeremiah R. Foley IV

 

Department of Environmental Science and Forestry
 The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
123 Huntington Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Voice: (203) 974-8569  Fax: (203) 974-8502
E-mail: Jeremiah.Foley@ct.gov 

Expertise:

Over the past 10 years, Dr. Foley has had the opportunity to work with some of the world's most invasive plants and animals. His research has focused on invasion ecology from a global change perspective, aiming to understand how native and non-native biological organisms influence invasive pest populations in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Dr. Foley employs a combination of modeling, field surveys, molecular biology, bench-top analytical tools, and field experiments to address various theoretical and applied concepts of invasion ecology.  

 

Education:

Ph.D. – Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Entomology) 2021
M.S. – The University of Florida (Entomology and Nematology) 2017
B.A. – Florida Atlantic University (Biological Science) 2014
A.A. – Broward College (Biology)
GIS – Geographic Information Systems 2014
DDAV – Drone Data Analysis and Visualization (Center for Wildlife Studies) 2022

 

Station Career:

Assistant Agricultural Scientist II: 2023-present

 

Past Research:

Dr. Foley earned his Ph.D. in the Department of Entomology at Virginia Tech working with Dr. Scott Salom, the forest and biological control specialist. His doctorial research was focused on the post-release mass-production, distribution, and establishment of biological control agents for the highly invasive hemlock woolly adelgid. Dr. Foley has worked with local, state, and federal land managers throughout hemlock’s infested range to understand and assist in integrating biological control agents within a large management strategy. Prior to arriving at Virginia Tech, Dr. Foley earned his masters at the University of Florida and Bachelors degree at Florida Atlantic University while simultaneously working for the USDA Invasive Plant Research Lab. During his masters, he studied the symbiotic relationship of nematodes associated with invasive subterranean termites. While working as a technician, Dr. Foley was intricate in the pre- and post-release evaluations of several biological control agents for some of south Florida’s most invasive aquatic plant species.  

 

Current Research:

Dr. Foley’s current research is centered on the impacts and management of invasive aquatic species throughout Connecticut, with a particular focus on a new strain of Hydrilla in the Connecticut River. Hydrilla is an invasive aquatic plant that can quickly dominate waterways, outcompeting native species and causing significant environmental damage. The new strain of Hydrilla is of particular concern as it has been found to be more aggressive and resilient than previous strains, making it more difficult to control. Dr. Foley's research is aimed at understanding the potential impacts of this new strain of Hydrilla on the Connecticut River and developing effective management strategies to mitigate its negative effects. Through his work, he is investigating a range of management techniques, including herbicides, mechanical harvesting, and biological control agents to help control the spread of Hydrilla and prevent its establishment in other waterways. Dr. Foley's research is essential for protecting the ecological integrity of the Connecticut River and ensuring the sustainability of the region's aquatic ecosystems. 

 

Selected recent publications available from the author, Jeremiah.Foley@ct.gov 

 

Biology, Impact and Control of Aquatic Invasive Weeds:

  • Foley, J. R., Williams, J., Pokorny, E., and Tipping, P. W. (2022). Herbivore suppression of waterlettuce in Florida, USA. Biological Control. 105149.
  • Tipping, P. W., Martin, M. R., Foley, J. R., Pierce, R. M., Nimmo, K. R., Smart, M. D., and Getty, L. A. (2021). Negative post-fire recruitment trends for Melaleuca quinquenervia: the repercussions of biological control on the long-term management of an invasive tree. Invasive Plant Science and Management, 14, 3-8.
  • Goode, A. B., Tipping, P. W., Pokorny, E. N., Minteer, C. R., Knowles, B. K., Foley, J. R., and Valmonte, R. J. (2021). Megamelus scutellaris (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) biology and population dynamics in the highly variable landscape of southern Florida. Biological Control, 160, 104279.
  • Goode, A. B., Minteer, C. R., Tipping, P. W., Pokorny, E., Valmonte, R. J., Foley, J. R., and Knowles, B. K. (2020). Temperature dependent survival and fecundity of Lepidelphax pistiae Remes Lenicov (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), a potential biological control agent of Pistia stratiotes L. (Araceae). Biocontrol Science and Technology, 30(4), 396-401.
  • Tipping, P. W., Smith, M. C., Lake, E. C., Minteer, C. R., Goode, A. B., Foley, J. R., and Getty, L. A. (2020). Classical biological control and apparent competition: evaluating a waterhyacinth invaded community module. Journal of Applied Ecology, 57, 926-935.
  • Goode, A. B., Knowles, B. K., Tipping, P. W., Foley, J. R., and Getty, L. A. (2020). Interactions among biological control agents on waterhyacinth: Impacts of herbivory on the oviposition and development of Megamelus scutellaris. Biocontrol Science and Technology, 30, 1244-1249.
  • Goode, A. B., Minteer, C. R., Tipping, P. W., Knowles, B. K., Valmonte, R. J., Foley, J. R., and Getty, L. A. (2019). Small-scale dispersal of a biological control agent–Implications for more effective releases. Biological Control, 132, 89-94.
  • Goode, A. B., Minteer, C. R., Foley, J. R., Tipping, P. W., Valmonte, R. J., Knowles, B. K., and Getty, L. A. (2019). Host range of Lepidelphax pistiae (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) and its potential impact on Pistia stratiotes L. (Araceae). Biocontrol Science and Technology, 29, 706-714.
  • Tipping, P. W., Getty, L. A., Minteer, C. R., Foley, J. R., and Sardes, S. N. (2017). Herbivory by biological   control agents improves herbicidal control of waterhyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). Invasive Plant Science and Management, 10, 271-276.
  • Tipping, P. W., Foley, J. R., Getty, L. A., and Minteer, C. R. (2017). Assessing the risk of Eccritotarsus eichhorniae to pickerelweed, Pontederia cordata in North America. Biocontrol Science and Technology, 28, 332-340. 
  • Foley, J. R., Minteer, C. R., and Tipping, P. W. (2016). Differences in seasonal variation between two biotypes of Megamelus scutellaris (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), a biological control agent for Eichhornia crassipes in Florida. Florida Entomologist, 99, 569-571.
  • Minteer, C. R., Tipping, P. W., Knowles, B. K., Valmonte, R. J., Foley, J. R., and Getty, L. A. (2016). Utilization of an introduced weed biological control agent, Megamelus scutellaris (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), by a native parasitoid. Florida Entomologist, 99, 576-577.
  • Tipping, P. W., Alejandro, S., Pokorny, E. N., Foley, J. R., Schmitz, D. C., Rodgers, L., McCloud, L., Livingston-Way, P., and Cole, M. S. (2014). Release and establishment of Megamelus scutellaris (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) on waterhyacinth in Florida. Florida Entomologist, 97, 804-806.

Biology, Impact, and Management of Terrestrial Invasive Species:

  • Jubb. C., Stanley, K., Foley, J. R., and Salom, S. M. (2022) Distinguishing Laricobius osakensis (Coleoptera: Derodontidae from Laricobius nigrinus (Coleoptera: Derodontidae and Laricobius rubidus (Coleoptera: Derodontidae adults using pronotal morphology. Pan-Pacific Entomologist (accepted).
  • Foley, J. R., McAvoy, T. J., Saint-Amant, R., Régnière, J., Biggs, A., Wright, E., Mayfield, A. E., Brewster, C., and Salom, S. M. (2022). Temperature-dependent development, survival, and oviposition of Laricobius osakensis (Coleoptera: Derodontidae): A specialist predator of Adelges tsugae (Hemiptera: Adelgidae). Environmental Entomology, 51(4), 688-699.
  • Haak, D. C., Salom, S. M., Barney, J. N., Schenk, T., Lakoba, V. T., Brooks, R. K., Fletcher, R. A., Foley, J. R., Heminger, A., Maynard, L. D., and McElmurray, P. (2022). Transformative learning in graduate global change education drives conceptual shift in invasive species co-management and collaboration. Environmental Education Research, 1-19.
  • Foley, J. R., McAvoy, T. J., Grubb, C., Mayfield, A. E. III, Strahm, B., and Salom, S. M. (2022). Subterranean survivorship and seasonal emergence of Laricobius spp. (Coleoptera: Derodontidae), biological control agents for the hemlock woolly adelgid. Environmental Entomology, 51(1), 63-70.
  • Foley, J. R., Jubb, C., Cole, D. A., Mausel, D., Galloway, A. L., Brooks, R., and Salom, S. M. (2021). Historic assessment and analysis of the mass production of Laricobius spp. (Coleoptera: Derodontidae), biological control agents for the hemlock woolly adelgid at Virginia Tech. Journal of Insect Science, 21(12).
  • Foley, J. R., McAvoy, T. J., Dorman, S., Bekelja, K., Kring, T. J., and Salom, S. M. (2019). Establishment and distribution of Laricobius spp. (Coleoptera: Derodontidae), a predator of hemlock woolly adelgid, within the urban environment in two localities in Southwest Virginia. Journal of Integrated Pest Management, 10, 30.
  • Foley J. R., Chouvenc, T., Giblin-Davis, R. M., Su, N., and Kanzaki, N. (2018). Phoresy and within-colony transmission of nematodes associated with alates of subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Environmental Entomology, 47, 1107-1116.
  • Chouvenc, T. and Foley, J. R. (2017). The Asian subterranean termite, Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann), a threat to the southeastern Florida urban tree canopy. Florida Entomologist, 101, 79-90. 

Insect Fact Sheets: