John Schepis

About John

John is working with tarnished plant bugs and how cover crops can affect their ability to overwinter. Tarnished plant bugs are a key pest of Virginia cotton and can also feed on most winter cover crops grown in the state. It has been found that nutrition in the winter is a key factor in determining when plant bugs break diapause. Studying tarnished plant bugs' relationship with Virginia cover crops will help us to better understand and determine their spring and summer populations and help cotton growers determine the best cover crops to plant in the fall to prevent high pest numbers in the summer. 

Program: Field Crop Entomology

Principal Investigator: Sally Taylor