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

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
Brian L. Beres, Héctor. A. Cárcamo, J. Robert Byers, Fran R. Clarke, Yuefeng Ruan, Curtis J. Pozniak, Saikat K. Basu, and Ron M. DePauw. 2014. Host Plant Interactions between Wheat Germplasm Source and Wheat Stem Sawfly Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: Cephidae), Joint Annual Meetings of the Canadian Societies of Agronomy and Horticultural Sciences, Lethbridge, AB, Canada, July 10-12
2014 - View publication details
Brian L. Beres, B. D. Hill, D. K. Weaver, J. J. Knodel, H. A. Cárcamo, C. J. Pozniak, K. T. Nilsen, P. B. Beauzay, P. F. Lamb, J. A. Holmes, M. L. Hofland, P. R. Miller, R. D. Cuthbert and L. E. Talbert. 2014. Variations in physiological response of solid stem spring wheat cultivars across diverse growing environments and agronomic systems, 6th International Wheat Stem Sawfly Conference, Bozeman, MT USA, April 11-12.
2014 - View publication details
Kher, S.V., Dosdall, L.M., Cárcamo, H.A., El-Bouhssini, M. (2014). Antixenosis resistance to Oulema melanopus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Central Asian wheat germplasm. Journal of Economic Entomology, [online] 107(1), 410-416. http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/EC13065
2014 - View publication details
Kher, S.V., Dosdall, L.M., Cárcamo, H.A. (2014). Plant vigor metrics determine spatio-temporal distribution dynamics of Oulema melanopus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and its larval parasitoid, Tetrastichus julis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Environmental Entomology, [online] 43(5), 1295-1308. http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/EN14066
2014 - View publication details
Cárcamo, H.A. and Otani, J.K. (2013). Refine and validate economic threshold for lygus bugs in canola production in Alberta (Project Code: PRR12-030). Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Pest Management Centre, Reduced Risk Pesticide Program, Final Report 2012-2013, March 31, 2013. (Report)
2013 - View publication details
Olfert, O.O., Cárcamo, H.A., and Meers, S. (2013). "Wheat stem sawfly in Alberta in 2012. 2012 Crop Variety Highlights and Insect Pest Forecasts.", Saskatoon Research Centre Technical Bulletin, 2013(1), pp. 16-17.
2013 - View publication details
Olfert, O.O., Meers, S., Cárcamo, H.A., and Hartley, S. (2013). "Pea leaf weevil in Alberta and Saskatchewan in 2012. 2012 Crop Variety Highlights and Insect Pest Forecasts.", Saskatoon Research Centre Technical Bulletin, 2013(1), pp. 18-19.
2013 - View publication details
Cárcamo, H.A., Meers, S., Dosdall, L.M., and Olfert, O.O. (2013). Management of lygus bugs and seedpod weevil in canola at the farm level. Final Report submitted to the Canola Council of Canada for Project #2010-020 of the Canola Agronomic Research Program. (Report)
2013 - View publication details
Kher, S.V., Dosdall, L.M., Cárcamo, H.A., El-Bouhssini, M. (2013). Antibiosis resistance to cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus (L.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), in Central Asian wheat germplasm. Journal of Applied Entomology, [online] 137(10), 751-760. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jen.12074
2013 - View publication details
Beres, B.L., Cárcamo, H.A., Byers, J.R., Clarke, F.R., Ruan, Y., Pozniak, C.J., Basu, S.K., DePauw, R.M. (2013). Host plant interactions between wheat germplasm source and wheat stem sawfly Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: Cephidae). II. other germplasm. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 93(6), 1169-1177. http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/CJPS2013-035
2013 - View publication details
Cárcamo, H.A., Herle, C.E., Broadbent, A.B., Gariepy, T.D., and Gualtieri, L. (2012). "Neo-classical biocontrol of Lygus in canola in the Canadian Prairies-treading lightly.", Entomological Society of Canada 62nd and Entomological Society of Alberta 60th joint Annual Meeting, Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel, Edmonton, AB, Canada, November 4-7, 2012, #27. (Abstract)
2012 - View publication details
Kher, S.V., Cárcamo, H.A., Dosdall, L.M., and Goettel, M.S. (2012). "Laboratory bioassay of Beauveria bassiana strain GHA (BotaniGardTM) efficacy on cereal leaf beetle (Oulema melanopus) and non-target effects on its parasitoid Tetrastichus julis.", Entomological Society of Canada 62nd and Entomological Society of Alberta 60th joint Annual Meeting, Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel, Edmonton, AB, Canada, November 4-7, 2012, #97. (Abstract)
2012 - View publication details
Kher, S.V., Dosdall, L.M., and Cárcamo, H.A. (2012). "Host-plant nutrients and plant vigor effects on spatio-temporal distribution patterns of cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).", Entomological Society of Canada 62nd and Entomological Society of Alberta 60th joint Annual Meeting, Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel, Edmonton, AB, Canada, November 4-7, 2012, #95. (Abstract)
2012 - View publication details
Cárcamo, H.A. (2012). "The pea leaf weevil (Sitona lineatus L.) - an overview of recent research and knowledge gaps.", Entomological Society of Canada 62nd and Entomological Society of Alberta 60th joint Annual Meeting, Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel, Edmonton, AB, Canada, November 4-7, 2012, #26. (Abstract)
2012 - View publication details
Kher, S.V., Dosdall, L.M., and Cárcamo, H.A. (2012). "Understanding host-finding behaviour of cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and its principal parasitoid Tetrastichus julis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) using olfactory bioassays.", Entomological Society of Canada 62nd and Entomological Society of Alberta 60th joint Annual Meeting, Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel, Edmonton, AB, Canada, November 4-7, 2012, #96. (Abstract)
2012 - View publication details
Cárcamo, H.A., Hervet, V.A.D., Dosdall, L.M., Kher, S.V., and Chelle, C.D. (2012). "Host range assays of Tetrastichus julis - an effective biocontrol agent of cereal leaf beetle.", Entomological Society of Canada 62nd and Entomological Society of Alberta 60th joint Annual Meeting, Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel, Edmonton, AB, Canada, November 4-7, 2012, #28. (Abstract)
2012 - View publication details