In 1999 I joined the Department of Entomology of ARO, the Volcani Center. At present, my field of expertise comprises the manipulation of sexual behavior and mating systems of moth and beetle pests, and environmental manipulations to combat insect pests and invaded weeds. My research strategies combine theory and applied approaches in the search for environmentally friendly solutions to agricultural pest management. My ultimate goal in these studies is to reduce the damage caused by various pests through the exploitation of the pests’ reproductive systems and use the reproductive system of beneficial arthropods to fight insect pests and invasive weeds. Currently, my research is focused on four major areas: (1) The effect of volatile communication on reproductive decisions of arthropod pests. (2) Manipulating reproductive decisions of insect pests. (3) Biological control of invasive weeds and its application in agricultural practices, and (4) Encouraging natural arthropod diversity as a tool in pest management.
