Welcome to the Abney Lab

As a research and extension program, our goal is to conduct pertinent research in applied insect ecology and to deliver the highest quality, science based insect management information to the vegetable industry.
ResearchThe research in our lab ranges from studies on the basic biology and ecology of economically important insects in vegetables to the development and evaluation of insect management strategies.read more
Extension

Our program is committed to providing solutions to pest management problems through the extension of our research results to the vegetable industry. We are actively engaged with industry clientele and utilize a variety of outlets from grower meetings to web based media to deliver the most current insect management information.

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News and Events

NEW: Report Brown Marmorated Stink Bug SightingsA new website is now online for NC residents to report sightings of brown marmorated stink bugs. Please help us track this new invasive pest byvisiting the site and reporting any sightings. REPORT BMSB SIGHTINGS HERE

Brown Marmorated Stinkbug Research Begins (Summer 2011) Matthew Bickerton recently joined the lab as a PhD student researching the brown marmorated stinkbug, Halyomorpha halys , in North Carolina. Studies will track stink bug populations in vegetables, row crops, weeds, and woodlands. Brown marmorated stinkbugs caused devastating losses to fruit and vegetable growers in the Northeast and Virginia in 2010. The insect is now present in NC, and we are working with Dr. Jim Walgenbach with NCSU in Mills River, NC and cooperators across the US to understand its biology and develop cost effective, environmentally sustainable management strategies. 

Langdon Receives Honorable Mention from NSF (4/5/2011) Congratulations to Vegetable Entomology M.S. student Kevin Langdon on receiving an Honorable Mention from the NSF Graduate Fellowship Program!