Héctor Cárcamo, Ph. D.

Research Scientist

Elucidating insect-plant interactions to validate economic thresholds for prairie crop pests

Development and integration of biological and cultural control approaches with chemical control to improve the sustainability of crop production

Biodiversity conservation studies with a focus on carabid beetles and spiders

The role of natural enemies in contributing to pest management

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

5403 1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta

Current research and/or projects

Projects

Validation of canola insect pest action thresholds. Project Leader(s): H. Carcamo. Collaborators: J. Otani, D. Bruhjell, T. Wist, J. Gavloski (MAFRI), S. Meers (AAF), A. Costamagna (U of MB)

Integrated approaches for flea beetle control – seeding rates, economic thresholds, prediction models, landscape effects, and natural enemies. Project Leader(s): A. Costamagna (U of MB), T. Wist is AAFC Cluster Lead. Collaborators: H. Carcamo, J. Otani, J. Gavloski (MAFRI).

Biology and management of pea leaf weevil in support of faba bean and field pea production. Project Leader(s): H. Carcamo. Collaborators: M. Evenden, D. Bruhjell, R. De Clerck Floate, N. Harker, J. Broatch (AAF), S. Chatterton.

Sustainable reduced chemical strategies to manage pea leaf weevil in pulse crops in Saskatchewan. Project Leader(s): M. Vankosky. Collaborators: M. Evenden, H. Carcamo, B. Mori.

Biological control of cabbage seedpod weevil. Project Leader(s): H. Carcamo. Collaborators: G. Labrie, E. Lucas, L. Belzile, P. Bouchard, T. Gariepy, P. Mason, M. Vankosky, B. Mori, D. Johnson, S. Meers.

Seed Forage insect pest management. Project Leader(s): H. Carcamo and J. Otani. Collaborators: B. Mori, M. Vankosky

Lygus biological control in emerging and established crops. Project Leader(s): H. Carcamo. Collaborators: Geneviève Labrie, Dan Johnson, Kevin Floate, Diana Wilches, Piratheepa Jegatheeswaran

Research and/or project statements

Our team researches ecological insect pest management strategies to improve the environmental sustainability of crop production

Professional activities / interests

Subject Editor for Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 2014-present.

Secretary of the Entomological Society of Alberta, 2018 to present.

Head Organizer (Chair) of the 6th Joint Meeting of the Entomological Societies of Alberta and Saskatchewan, October 3rd-5th, Elkwater, Alberta.

Co-Editor of Special Issue of Canadian Entomologist to commemorate 40th anniversary of the Biological Survey of Canada (2016-2017).

Co-editor, Arthropods of Canadian Grasslands (Biodiversity and Systematics), Volumes 3-4, published in 2014.

Research Leader for the Field Crops unit at the Lethbridge Research Centre (2012-2013).

+160 abstracts published in conference proceedings, scientific programs or meeting minutes from 1989 to 2019.

40+ miscellaneous publications including thesis, reports and extension articles.

Numerous extension contacts including entomological presentations to elementary school children, business groups, invited lectures or seminars at universities, entomology updates to producer organizations and television, radio and print media interviews.

Reviewer. External referee for scientific manuscripts submitted to international entomology, agronomy, ecology and soil biology journals.

Mentor/supervisor to university undergraduate and graduate students employed at the Lethbridge Research Centre .

Education and awards

Education:

1993-1997 Ph. D. Soil Ecology, University of Calgary

(Effect of sulphur pollution on forest floor invertebrates)

1990-1992 M. Sc. Entomology, University of Alberta

(Effect of agricultural practice on ground beetles)

1986-1990 B.Sc. Agricultural Entomology (distinction)

University of Alberta

Awards:

AAFC Gold Harvest Award, Team member recipient 2015 and 2016 (Insect Pest Field Guide, and Integrated Agronomy)

APHIS – USDA Administrators Award, Team member recipient 2010 (Cereal Leaf Beetle Biocontrol)

IPM Team Award, Pacific Branch of The Entomological Society of America, 2009 (Biological Control)

2013 Canadian Society of Agronomy Outstanding Paper Award in the Canadian Journal of Plant Science:

Beres, B.L., H.A. Cárcamo, J.R. Byers, F.R. Clarke, C.J. Pozniak, S.K. Basu, et al. 2013. Host plant interactions between wheat germplasm source and wheat stem sawfly Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) I. Commercial cultivars. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 93:607-617.

Beres, B.L., H.A. Cárcamo, J.R. Byers, F.R. Clarke, C.J. Pozniak, S.K. Basu, et al. 2013. Host plant interactions between wheat germplasm source and wheat stem sawfly Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: CephidaeII. Other germplasm. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 93: 1169-1177 doi:10.4141/CJPS2013-035

International experience and/or work

International experience:
Mentorship of graduate students from China, France, Colombia, Iran, India, Sirilanka

Additional links

https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=x6i4rZMAAAAJ&hl=en

Key publications

Olfert, O.O., Cárcamo, H.A., and Meers, S. (2015). "Wheat stem sawfly in Alberta in 2014. 2014 Crop Variety Highlights and Insect Pest Forecasts.", Saskatoon Research Centre Technical Bulletin, 2015(1), pp. 16-17.
2015 - View publication details
Costamagna, A., Cárcamo, H.A., and Otani, J.K. (2015). "Management of flea beetles in the Canadian Prairies.", 2015 Entomological Society of America, November 8-11, 2015.
2015 - View publication details
Cárcamo, H.A., Otani, J.K., Harker, N., Reid, P., Broatch, J.S., Meers, S., Barkley, S., and Daniels, S. (2015). "Of lygus and canola: Where is the threshold?", Entomological Society of Alberta Annual General Meeting, Jasper, AB, Canada, October 1-3, 2015.
2015 - View publication details
Otani, J.K., Szeitz, A., Costamagna, A., Cárcamo, H.A., and Wist, T. (2015). "Sticking with flea beetles in canola – Examining species, thresholds and beyond.", Joint Annual Meeting of the Société d’entomologie du Québec and the Entomological Society of Canad, Montreal, QC, Canada, November 8-11, 2015, pp. 20.
2015 - View publication details
Fernández, D.C., Cárcamo, H.A., Herle, C.E., and Laird, R.A. (2015). "Seasonal occurrence of Lygus bugs (Hemiptera: Miridae) and their parasitoids on alfalfa fields in Southern Alberta.", Biology Graduate Students Symposium, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada, January 4, 2015. (Poster)
2015 - View publication details
Otani, J.K., Costamagna, A., Szeitz, A., Cárcamo, H.A., and Wist, T. (2015). "Sticking with flea beetles in canola – Examining species, thresholds and beyond.", Joint Annual Meeting of the Société d’entomologie du Québec and the Entomological Society of Canad, Montreal, QC, Canada, November 8-11, 2015, pp. 20. (Poster)
2015 - View publication details
Olfert, O.O., Meers, S., Cárcamo, H.A., and Hartley, S. (2015). "Pea leaf weevil in Alberta and Saskatchewan in 2014. 2014 Crop Variety Highlights and Insect Pest Forecasts.", Saskatoon Research Centre Technical Bulletin, 2015(1), pp. 18-19.
2015 - View publication details
Cárcamo, H.A. and Meers, S. (2015). "Lygus bug update.", Agronomy Update Conference 2015, Lethbridge, AB, Canada, January 20-21, 2015, Oral Presentation.
2015 - View publication details
Cárcamo, H.A., Herle, C.E., Lupwayi, N.Z., Weintraub, P. (2015). Sitona lineatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Larval Feeding on Pisum sativum L. Affects Soil and Plant Nitrogen. Journal of Insect Science, [online] 15(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/iev055
2015 - View publication details
Cárcamo, H.A., Dosdall, L.M., Olfert, O.O., Meers, S., Gavloski, J.E., and Hartley, S. (2014). "Recent changes in insect communities associated with agricultural systems in the Prairies.", 2014 Joint Annual Meeting of Entomological Society of Saskatchewan and Entomological Society of Canada, Saskatoon SK, Canada, September 28-October 1, 2014, Invited Symposium.
2014 - View publication details
Fernández, D.C., Cárcamo, H.A., Herle, C.E., and Laird, R.A. (2014). "Seasonal occurrence of Lygus bugs (Hemiptera: Miridae) and their parasitoids on alfalfa fields in Southern Alberta.", Joint Conference of NAAIC, Trifolium, & Grass Breeders, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, July 8-10, 2014. (Poster)
2014 - View publication details
Cárcamo, H.A. and Olfert, O.O. (2014). "Control biológico de insectos plagas invasivas en cereales en las Praderas Canadienses.", Simposio en México, November 14, 2014.
2014 - View publication details
Holliday, N.J., Floate, K.D., Cárcamo, H.A., Stjernberg, A., and Roughley, R.E. (2014). "Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) of the prairie grasslands of Canada.", in Cárcamo, H. and Giberson, D. (eds.) - Arthropods of Canadian Grasslands Volume 4, Biological Survey of Canada (BSC), pp. 1-85.
2014 - View publication details
Cárcamo, H.A., Dosdall, L.M., Olfert, O.O., Meers, S., Gavloski, J.E., and Hartley, S. (2014). "Recent changes in insect communities associated with agricultural systems in the Prairies.", Invited Symposium, Saskatoon, Canada, November 6, 2014, Oral Presentation.
2014 - View publication details
Fernández, D.C., Cárcamo, H.A., Laird, R.A., Mason, P.G., Otani, J.K., and Lachance, S. (2014). "Ecological interactions between lygus bugs and Peristenus: an approach in southern Alberta.", 2014 Joint Annual Meeting of Entomological Society of Saskatchewan and Entomological Society of Canada, Saskatoon SK, Canada, September 28-October 1, 2014.
2014 - View publication details
Olfert, O.O., Cárcamo, H.A., and Meers, S. (2014). "Wheat stem sawfly in Alberta in 2014. 2014 Crop Variety Highlights and Insect Pest Forecasts.", Saskatoon Research Centre Technical Bulletin, 2014(1), pp. 16-17.
2014 - View publication details
Cárcamo, H.A. (2014). "La lutte biologique à son meilleur : contrôle du criocère des céréales au moyen de la guêpe T. julis. Available in English (http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2014/aac-aafc/A59-15-2014-eng.pdf) and French [http://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/469808/publication.html].", published by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. (Factsheet)
2014 - View publication details
Kheirodin, A., Cárcamo, H.A., and Costamagna, A. (2014). "Field and laboratory tests of predation on the cereal leaf beetle.", 2014 Joint Annual Meeting of Entomological Society of Saskatchewan and Entomological Society of Canada, Saskatoon SK, Canada, September 28-October 1, 2014.
2014 - View publication details
Cárcamo, H.A. and Hervet, V.A.D. (2014). "An overview of beneficial insects and spiders in agroecosystems - including a live display.", Field Day Oral Presentation. (Presentation)
2014 - View publication details
Fernandez, C., Carcamo, H., Cárcamo, H.A., Laird, R.A., Mason, P.G., Otani, J.K., and Lachance, S. (2014). "Ecological interactions between lygus bugs and Peristenus: an approach in southern Alberta.", 2014 Joint Annual Meeting of Entomological Society of Saskatchewan and Entomological Society of Canada, Saskatoon SK, Canada, September 28-October 1, 2014, pp. 37.
2014 - View publication details