KEVIN M. HEINZ

Department Head, Professor
Entomology

Department of Entomology
Texas A&M University
TAMU 2475
College Station, TX 77843-2475
Office: 412 Minnie Bell Heep Center (map)
Phone: 979.845.2510
E-mail: kmheinz@tamu.edu
Department Web page
Heinz Lab

Keywords: arthropod ecology, biocontrol, population and community ecology

Interests:
Research in my laboratory addresses questions associated with the ecological relationships among arthropod predators and parasitoids with their prey or hosts. These studies form the foundations for developing and implementing effective biological control programs. Using arthropod parasitoids and predators as models, we are interested in testing theories derived from behavioral, population, or community ecology within the context of temporally and spatially ephemeral habits. Results from these experiments are used to develop a theoretical framework for biological control of arthropods cropping systems and weeds in natural habitats.

Disciplines: Biological Control, Community Ecology & Population Biology

Selected publications:
Prasifka, J. R., K. M. Heinz and R. R. Minzenmayer. 2004. Relationships of landscape, prey and agronomic variables to the abundance of generalist predators in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) fields. Landscape Ecology 19: 709-717.

Prasifka, J.R., K.M. Heinz. 2004. The use of C3 and C4 plants to study natural enemy movement and ecology, ant its application to pest management. International Journal of Pest Management 50(3): 177-181.

Mottern, J. L., K. M. Heinz, and P. J. Ode. 2004. Evaluating biological control of fire ants using phorid flies: effects on competitive interactions. Biological Control 30 (3): 566-583. International Journal of Pest Management 50(3): 177-181.

Prasifka, J.R., K.M. Heinz, and C.G. Sansone. 2004. Timing, magnitude, rates, and putative causes of predator movement between cotton and grain sorghum fields. Environmental Entomology 33(2): 282-290.

Prasifka, J.R., K.M. Heinz, and Kirk O. Winemiller. 2004. Crop colonisation, feeding, and reproduction by the predatory beetle, Hippodamia convergens, as indicated by stable carbon isotope analysis. Ecological Entomology 29 : 226-233.