Agricultural Entomology

Prof. Dr. Michael Rostás

Research Interests

• Chemo-ecological interactions between insects, microorganisms and crops (oilseed rape, sugar beet, maize, etc.)
• Genetic and induced resistance in crop plants against insects
• Beneficial (endophytic) fungi for crop protection
• Chemical ecology of soil insects
• Effects of abiotic and biotic stress interaction on plant-insect relationships

Publications

Posada-Vergara C, Vidal S, Rostás M (2023): Local Competition and Enhanced Defense: How Metarhizium brunneum Inhibits Verticillium longisporum in Oilseed Rape Plants. J. Fungi 9(8), 796 doi: 10.3390/jof9080796

Hettiarachchi DK, Rostás M, Sullivan JJ, Jackman S, van Koten C, Cripps MG (2023): Plant phylogeny determines host selection and acceptance of the oligophagous leaf beetle Cassida rubiginosa. Pest Management Science doi: 10.1002/ps.7669

Surovy MZ, Rahman S, Rostás M, Islam T, von Tiedemann A (2023): Suppressive Effects of Volatile Compounds from Bacillus spp.on Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum (MoT) Pathotype, Causal Agent of Wheat Blast. microorganisms, doi:10.3390/microorganisms11051291

Cedden, D., Güney, G., Scholten, S., Rostás, M. (2023): Lethal and sublethal effects of orally delivered double-stranded RNA on the cabbage stem flea beetle, Psylliodes chrysocephala. Pest Management Science doi: 10.1002/ps.7494

Sana, S., Vollhardt, I., Kubon, K., Rostás, M., Scholten, S. (2023): De novo transcriptome assemblies of five major European oilseed rape insect pests. BMC Genom Data 24, 15.doi: s12863-023-01115-8

van Zijll de Jong E, Kandula J.; Rostás M, Kandula D, Hampton J, Mendoza-Mendoza A (2023): Fungistatic Activity Mediated by Volatile Organic Compounds Is Isolate-Dependent in Trichoderma sp. “atroviride B”. J. Fungi 9, 238. doi:jof9020238

Güney G, Rüde D, Beran F, Ulber B, Cook SM, Rostás M (2022): Insights into the aestivation in cabbage stem flea beetle (Psylliodes chrysocephala). Integrated Control in Oilseed Crops IOBC-WPRS Bulletin Vol. 157, p. 108

Posada-Vergara C, Lohaus K, Alhussein M, Vidal S, Rostás M (2022): Root Colonization by Fungal Entomopathogen Systemically Primes Belowground Plant Defense against Cabbage Root Fly. Journal of Fungi 8(9):969 doi:10.3390/jof8090969

Zoclanclounon YAB, Rostás M, Chung N-J, Mo Y, Karlovsky P, Dossa K (2022): Characterization of peroxidase and laccase gene families and in silico identification of potential genes involved in upstream steps of lignan formation in sesame. Life 12: 1200. doi:10.3390/life12081200

Cusumano A, Bella P, Peri E, Rostás M, Guarino S, Lievens B & Colazza S (2022): Nectar-Inhabiting Bacteria Affect Olfactory Responses of an Insect Parasitoid by Altering Nectar Odors. Microbial Ecologydoi:10.1007/s00248-022-02078-6

Pfitzer R, Varrelmann M, Schrameyer K and Rostás M (2022): Life history traits and a method for continuous mass rearing of the planthopper Pentastiridius leporinus, a vector of the causal agent of syndrome “basses richesses” in sugar beet. Pest Management Science. doi:10.1002/ps.7090

Muskat LC, Jiang L, Brikmann J, Rostás M and Patel AV (2022): Development of a self-adhesive oleogel formulation designed for the slow release of semiochemicals. Macromolecular Materials and Engineering. doi:10.1002/mame.202200276

Cruz-Magalhães V, Nieto-Jacobo MF, Rostás M, Echaide-Aquino JF, Naranjo UE, Stewart A, Loguercio LL, Mendoza-Mendoza A (2022): Histidine kinase two-component response regulators Ssk1, Skn7 and Rim15 differentially control growth, developmental and volatile organic compounds emissions as stress responses in Trichoderma atroviride. Current Research in Microbial Sciences in press. doi:10.1016/j.crmicr.2022.100139

Atijegbe SR, Mansfield S, Ferguson CM, Rostás M, Worner SP (2022): Thermal requirements for egg development of two endemic Wiseana pest species (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae) of economic importance. Journal of Applied Entomology doi:10.1111/jen.13002

Obermeier C, Mason AS, Meiners T, Petschenka G, Rostás M, Will T, Wittkop B, Austel N (2022): Perspectives for integrated insect pest protection in oilseed rape breeding . Theoretical and Applied Genetics doi:10.1007/s00122-022-04074-3

Nixon L, Morrison WR, Rice KB, Goldson S, Brockerhoff EG, Khrimian A, Rostás M, Leskey TC (2021): Behavioural responses of diapausing Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) to conspecific volatile organic compounds. Journal of Applied Entomology 00: 1-9. doi: 10.1111/jen.12955

Hausmann J, Heimbach U, Rostás M , Brandes M (2021): The effect of insecticide application by dropleg sprayers on pollen beetle parasitism in oilseed rape. BioControl , doi:10.1007/s10526-021-10111-9

Hennessy LM, Popay AJ, Glare TR, Finch SC, Cave VM and Rostás M (2021): Olfactory responses of Argentine stem weevil to herbivory and endophyte-colonisation in perennial ryegrass. Journal of Pest Science doi: 10.1007/s10340-021-01375-2

Rivas-Franco F, Hampton JG, Altier NA, Swaminathan J, Rostás M, Wessman P, Saville DJ, Jackson TA, Jackson MA and Glare TR (2020): Production of microsclerotia from entomopathogenic fungi and use in maize seed coating as delivery for biocontrol against Fusarium graminearum. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 4:606828.
doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2020.606828

Schweiger R, Padilla-Arizmendi F, Nogueira Lopez G, Rostás MG, Lawry R, Brown CM, Hampton J, Steyaert JM, Müller C and Mendoza Mendoza A (2020): Insights into metabolic changes caused by the Trichoderma virens-maize root interaction. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions.
doi:10.1094/MPMI-04-20-0081-R

Conti E, Avila G, Barratt B, Cingolani F, Colazza S, Guarino S, Hoelmer K, Laumann PA, Maistrello L, Martel G, Peri E, Rodriguez‐Saona C, Rondoni G, Rostás M, Roversi PF, Sforza RFH, Tavella L and Wajnberg E (2020): Biological control of invasive stink bugs: review of global state and future prospects. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata.
doi:10.1111/eea.12967

Rivas-Franco F, Hampton JG, Narciso J, Rostás M, Wessman P, Saville DJ, Jackson TA and Glare TR (2020): Effects of a maize root pest and fungal pathogen on entomopathogenic fungal rhizosphere colonization, endophytism and induction of plant hormones. Biological Control 150: 104347.
doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2020.104347

Atijegbe SR, Mansfield S, Ferguson CM, Worner SP and Rostás M (2020): Host range expansion of an endemic insect herbivore is associated with high nitrogen and low fibre content in exotic pasture plants. Journal of Chemical Ecology.
doi:10.1007/s10886-020-01183-5

Atijegbe SR, Mansfield S, Rostás M, Ferguson CM and Worner S (2020): The remarkable locomotory ability of Wiseana (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae) pupae: an adaptation to predation and environmental conditions? The Wētā 54: pp. 19-31.
https://weta.ento.org.nz/index.php/weta/article/view/7

Cheong PCH, Glare TR, Rostás M, Haines S, Brookes JJ and Ford S (2020): Lack of involvement of chitinase in direct toxicity of Beauveria bassiana cultures to the aphid Myzus persicae. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 169, 107276.
doi:10.1016/j.jip.2019.107276

Han P, Becker C, Sentis A, Rostás M, Desneux N and Lavoir A-V (2019): Global change-driven modulation of bottom-up forces and cascading effects on biocontrol services. Current Opinion in Insect Science 35: pp. 27-33.
doi:10.1016/j.cois.2019.05.005

Rivas-Franco F, Hampton JG, Morán-Diez ME, Narciso J, Rostás M, Wessman P, Jackson TA and Glare TR (2019): Effect of coating maize seed with entomopathogenic fungi on plant growth and resistance against Fusarium graminearum and Costelytra giveni. Biocontrol Science and Technology 29: pp. 877-900.
doi:10.1080/09583157.2019.1611736

Nielsen M-C, Sansom CE, Larsen L, Worner SP, Rostás M, Chapman RB, Butler RC, de Kogel WJ, Davidson MM, Perry NB and Teulon DAJ (2019): Volatile compounds as insect lures: factors affecting release from passive dispenser systems. New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science 47(3): pp. 208-223.
doi:10.1080/01140671.2019.1604554

All publications by Prof. Dr. Michael Rostás

Positions Held

since 2018 Professor (Full), Head of Agricultural Entomology Division, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Germany
2012 - 2018 Senior lecturer in Entomology and Chemical Ecology, Bio-Protection Research Centre (100%), Lincoln University, New Zealand
2010 - 2012 Lecturer in Entomology and Chemical Ecology, Bio-Protection Research Centre (70%) and Department of Ecology (30%), Lincoln University, New Zealand
2003 - 2010 Research Group Leader (Wissenschaftlicher Assistent, C1), Department of Botany II, University of Würzburg, Germany
2002 - 2003 Postdoctoral researcher, Fundamental and Applied Chemical Ecology, Institute of Zoology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Degrees

2013 Dr. habil. (Habilitation = German professorial thesis) in Ecology, University of Würzburg, Germany
2001 Dr. rer. nat. in Biology, Free University of Berlin, Germany
1997 Diploma (≈ M.Sc.) in Biology, Free University of Berlin, Germany