winds may be an overlooked but im- 

 portant cause of the disease in higher 

 elevations. 



Entomology 



Black flies are annoying pests that 

 cause economic losses in camping and 

 resort areas throughout New England. 

 Of the several species of black flies 

 found in New Hampshire J. F. Burger, 

 medical entomologist, learned that 

 virtually all larvae of one could be 

 eliminated without the use of chemi- 

 cals. One species is not a major nui- 

 sance to humans. He determined that 

 a new commercially available 

 larvicide [Bacillus thuringiensis) 

 eliminated one population of black 

 flies and reduced biting near the treat- 

 ment area without killing other stream 

 insects. His in-depth investigations of 

 horseflies has allowed him to revise 

 his classification of species from New 



Hampshire, North America and the 

 Orient including some which are vec- 

 tors for transmission of surro, an im- 

 portant hemorrhagic disease of horses. 

 He has studied the life history of a fly 

 occurring on the west coast, the first 

 known predator of intertidal barnacles. 

 He believes that the ecologically di- 

 verse alpine zone in the Mt. Wash- 

 ington area affords a unique opportu- 

 nity to investigate pollination systems 

 and plant-insect relationships. 



P. C. Johnson, insect ecologist and 

 chairman of the department since 1985, 

 is participating in the interdiscipli- 

 nary group using integrated pest man- 

 agement techniques to decrease the 

 amount of insecticide used in apple 

 orchards and concomitantly reduce 

 damage to foliage and fruit by pests 

 and improve product quality. He is 

 developing a model for control of the 



t. 



P. C. Johnson monitoring apple maggot fly with a "sficAy trap 



68 



