Manual of Techniques in Insect Pathology

Since earning his Ph.D. in 1978, Dr. Lacey has been internationally active working in medical entomology, insect pathology and microbial control of economically and medically important insects. For the first 17 years of his career, he conducted research on the biology and microbial control of several medically important insects. His research on mosquitoes and black flies was conducted in California, the southeastern United States, the Amazon Basin of Brazil and in West Africa for the University of California (1973-1977), Amazon Research Institute (1978-1980), World Health Organization (1980) and U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS, 1981-1985). During his tenure with the Vector Biology and Control Project (1986-1989) he provided technical assistance and training on mosquito biology and control to health workers in nine countries aided by the U.S. government for management of vector-borne diseases. In 1990-1991 Dr. Lacey worked for the USDA-ARS on the biology, pathology and microbial control of the Japanese beetle in the Azores (Portugal). While based in Montpellier, France with the USDA-ARS (1991-1996) he conducted extensive foreign exploration for natural enemies of species of invasive insects that had entered the U.S. In 1996, he returned to the U.S. and implemented a comprehensive insect pathology program for USDA-ARS for control of insect pests of tree fruit and potato in the Pacific Northwest. Basic and applied studies were conducted on the development and use of entomopathogenic nematodes, viruses, bacteria, and fungi for control of codling moth, leafrollers, western cherry fruit fly, Colorado potato beetle, noctuid defoliators of potato, wireworms, potato tuber moth and the potato psyllid. During his 35 year career he wrote or co-authored 148 refereed journal papers in medical entomology, agricultural entomology and insect pathology, and edited and co-edited 6 books. The inspiration for the Manual of Techniques in Insect Pathology started with an assignment on an island (Terceira, Azores) virtually in middle of the Atlantic Ocean having the need for a variety of new techniques for insect pathogen groups that were new to him. With the help of colleagues and the scientific literature he was able to prepare for and successfully work on biological control of the invasive Japanese beetle. Since then several colleagues have contributed to the comprehensive first and second editions of the field and laboratory-oriented Manuals of Techniques in Invertebrate Pathology. In 2008 he was designated as a Fellow of the Entomological Society of America and in 2012 was elected as an Honorary Member of the Society for Invertebrate Pathology. He retired from the USDA in January 2011 and has since worked as a consultant and lecturer in microbial control and insect pathology.