Haley A. Catton, Ph.D.

Research Scientist - Field Crop Entomology

- Plant-insect interactions

- Population biology

- Insect ecology

- Biological control

- Integrated pest management

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Lethbridge, Alberta

Current research and/or projects

- Dynamic action thresholds for cereal leaf beetle

- Managing wireworms in southern Alberta wheat fields with crop rotations and beneficial insects

- Historical distributions of wheat stem sawfly

- IPM tools for wireworms in potatoes

- Integrating multiple beneficial managements practices in organic cropping systems: soil health, weed and insect interactions

Research and/or project statements

Damage from pest insects can reduce yield or even devastate crop yields. Control methods such as insecticide can kill pest insects, but also harm the many beneficial predacious insects that provide free and natural pest control. My research program contributes to sustainable crop production through reducing losses to pest damage and lowering input (pesticide) costs. Integrated pest management techniques are achieved through studying basic pest biology, identifying threshold levels of pest abundance that warrant insecticide use, understanding how and when beneficial insects contribute to pest control, understanding how agronomy affects insect communities, and working with plant breeders to develop insect resistant crop varieties.

Education and awards

Ph.D. (Biology) - University of British Columbia Okanagan

M.Sc. (Plant Science) - University of Manitoba

B.Sc. (Agriculture - Plant Systems), with Distinction - University of Manitoba

International experience and/or work

Visiting Researcher, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, 2010

Key publications

Mason, P.G., De Clerck-Floate, R.A., Catton, H., and Gallant, B. 2024. Regulation of Biological Control Organisms in Canada. In: Vankosky, M.A. and Martel, V. (eds.) Biological Control Programmes in Canada 2013-2023. CAB International Publishing, Wallingford, Oxon, United Kingdom. (in press).
2024 - View publication details
Catton, H., van Herk, W., Saguez, J., Schock, C., Otani, J. 2022. Prairie Pest Monitoring Network “Insect of the Week-Flat wireworm (Aeolus mellillus) - A different kind of wireworm” Webpage-bulletin, June 13, 2022 edition (Issue 6). url: https://prairiepest.ca/2022/week-6/#post_12839 (retrieved 2022Nov16).
2022 - View publication details
Catton, H., van Herk, W., Saguez, J., Schock, C., Otani, J. 2022. Prairie Pest Monitoring Network “Insect of the Week-Sugarbeet wireworm (Limonius californicus) - A big pest in some fields” Webpage-bulletin, June 6, 2022 edition (Issue 5). url: https://prairiepest.ca/2022/week-5/#post_12645 (retrieved 2022Nov16).
2022 - View publication details
Catton, H., van Herk, W., Saguez, J., Schock, C., Otani, J. 2022. Prairie Pest Monitoring Network “Insect of the Week-Prairie grain wireworm (Selatosomus aeripennis destructor) – The most destructive prairie pest wireworm” Webpage-bulletin, May 31, 2022 edition (Issue 4). url: https://prairiepest.ca/2022/week-4/#post_12601 (retrieved 2022Nov16).
2022 - View publication details
Catton, H., van Herk, W., Saguez, J., Schock, C., Otani, J. 2022. Prairie Pest Monitoring Network “Insect of the Week-Hypnoidus bicolor – The most common prairie pest wireworm” Webpage-bulletin, May 23, 2022 edition (Issue 3). url: https://prairiepest.ca/2022/week-3/#post_12514 (retrieved 2022Nov16).
2022 - View publication details
Catton, H., van Herk, W., Saguez, J., Schock, C., Svendsen, E., Otani, J. 2022. Prairie Pest Monitoring Network “Insect of the Week-New prairie wireworm field guide” Webpage-bulletin, May 16, 2022 edition (Issue 2). url: https://prairiepest.ca/2022/week-2/#post_12354 (retrieved 2022Nov16).
2022 - View publication details
Catton H, van Herk W, Saguez J and Svendsen E (2021) Guide to pest wireworms in Canadian
Prairie field crop production. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
2021 - View publication details
Catton, H. 2021. Public perceptions of the benefits of biological control. Invited seminar in symposium "Classical biological control of weeds and arthropods: Evaluation of social, economic and ecological benefits", organized by Peter Mason and Mark Schwarzlaender. 2nd International Congress of Biological Control, Virtual. April 26-30, 2021. Virtual meeting. Oral presentation.
2021 - View publication details
Catton, H., Van Herk, W. 2020. Wireworm in southern Alberta spring wheat is dominated by 3 species and does not vary with crop rotation. Entomology 2020: Entomological Society of America Virtual Annual Meeting, November 11-25, 2020. Virtual meeting. Poster presentation.
2020 - View publication details
Larney, F.J., Catton, H.A. Geddes, C.M., Lupwayi, N.Z., Forge, T.A., Lemke, R.L., and Helgason, B.L. 2020. Cover cropping for organic carrot production. Oral presentation. Organic Alberta and Holistic Management Canada Conference, January 31-February 2, 2020, Camrose, AB.
2020 - View publication details
Sauter, J., Gavloski, J., Barkley, S., Meers, S., Vankosky, M., Otani, J., Catton, H., Mori, B., Wist, T., Carcamo, H., Tansey, J., Svendsen, E., Olfert, O. 2020. Beneficial arthropods: Field Heroes! 2020 Agronomy Update, Red Deer, Alberta, January 7-8, 2020. ~403 attendees
2020 - View publication details
Catton, H. A. 2017. The New Cereal Crop Entomology Lab: Wireworm Project. Oral presentation. McRae Holdings Ltd. Annual Garden Meeting. January 25, 2017, Lethbridge, Alberta.
2017 - View publication details
Catton, H. A. 2017. The New Cereal Crop Entomology Lab. Oral presentation. Agronomy Update 2017. January 17-18, 2017, Lethbridge, Alberta.
2017 - View publication details
Catton, H. A. 2016. Cereal Crop Entomology. Oral presentation. Field Crops Class, Lethbridge College. November 28, 2016, Lethbridge College, Lethbridge, Alberta.
2016 - View publication details
Catton, H. A. 2016. Cereal Leaf Beetle Research. Oral presentation. Alberta Wheat Day. July 21, 2016, Lethbridge, Alberta.
2016 - View publication details
Catton, H. A. 2016. Cereal Leaf Beetle Research. Oral presentation. Organic Alberta Field Day. July 11, 2016, AAFC Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta.
2016 - View publication details
Catton, H.A. and Michener, G.R. 2016. Cohort effects and proximal versus distal metrics for lifetime reproductive success in Richardson's ground squirrels
2016 - View publication details
Catton, H.A., Lalonde, R.G., and De Clerck-Floate, R.A. (2015). "Nontarget herbivory by a weed biocontrol insect is limited to spillover, reducing the chance of population-level impacts.", Ecological Applications, 25(2), pp. 517-530. doi : 10.1890/14-0250.1
2015 - View publication details
Catton, H.A., Lalonde, R.G., and De Clerck-Floate, R.A. (2014). "Patterns and impact of herbivery by Mogulones crucifer on its target week, Cynoglossum officinale and the nontarget plant Hackelia micrantha.", Northern Rockies Invasive Plant Council Meeting, Spokane, Washington, USA, February 10-13, 2014.
2014 - View publication details
Catton, H.A., Lalonde, R.G., De Clerck-Floate, R.A. (2014). Differential host-finding abilities by a weed biocontrol insect create within-patch spatial refuges for nontarget plants. Environmental Entomology, [online] 43(5), 1333-1344. http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/EN14041
2014 - View publication details