Research Entomologist
Contact Information
USDA - Agricultural Research Service
1636 East Alisal Street
Salinas, CA 93905 USA
Phone: (831) 755-2826
Email: daniel.hasegawa@usda.gov
Education
2013 Ph.D. Biological Sciences, Clemson University
2007 B.S. Biochemistry, University of California Riverside
Research Experience
2019 - current Research Entomologist, USDA-ARS Salinas, California
2014 - 2019 Research Molecular Biologist (postdoc), USDA-ARS Charleston, South Carolina
Research Interests
Our research aims to improve the sustainable management of insects, insect vectors, and insect-transmitted viruses that are detrimental to vegetables, fruits, and horticultural crops.
Much of our current work focuses on managing thrips and thrips-transmitted tospoviruses, which have emerged as major challenges for lettuce production in the Salinas Valley of California as described in our 2023 paper [pdf] and is highlighted below.
Left panel: lettuce infected with the tospovirus, impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV) in the Salinas Valley of California. Top right: Spatial Analysis by Distance IndicEs (SADIE) characterized the rapid spread of INSV in a 4 ha field. Bottom right: Adult and first larval stage of the western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) are key developmental stages for successful virus acquisition and transmission.
Current Research Projects
- Characterizing the host range of INSV in the Salinas Valley and other regions.
- Improving the use of existing registered pesticides for managing insects and viruses.
- Enhancing biological control strategies for managing insects and viruses.
- Biotechnologies (RNA interference and peptides) for managing insects and viruses.
- Understanding the intimate relationships between viruses and their insect vectors.
- Multitrophic interactions between plants, insect vectors, viruses, and soilborne pathogens.
- New surveillance strategies for detecting insect vectors.
- Monitoring key insect pests (aphids, diamondback moth, and thrips) of vegetable crops in the Salinas Valley (see below).
Top row, left to right: lettuce aphid (Nasonovia ribisnigri) on romaine heart lettuce; diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) infestation on broccoli leaves, western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) on young lettuce. Bottom row: Populations trends for thrips, aphids, and diamondback moth. Data is reported in the Salinas Valley Pest Mapping Tool, which was developed in collaboration with Dr. Ian Grettenberger at UC Davis.
