Rebecca Schmidt-Jeffris

Research Scientist, USDA-ARS
Adjunct Professor, Clemson University
Plant and Environmental Sciences Department

Office: Wapato, WA
Phone: 509-454-6556

Email: rschmi3@clemson.edu

Educational Background

Ph.D. Entomology
Washington State University 2015

B.S. Biology
Washburn University 2010

Profile

Please contact me using my USDA email address: rebecca.schmidt@usda.gov

Research Interests

I am a Research Entomologist with the USDA-ARS in Wapato, WA. My lab broadly focuses on improving biological control of arthropod pests in tree fruit. This includes pesticide non-target on natural enemies, augmenting natural enemy populations through releases, conservation biological control, and improving knowledge of the diversity and basic biology of orchard parasitoids and predators.

We are currently working on:
Trechnites insidiosus, a parasitoid of pear psylla
Amblydromella caudiglans, a predatory mite - diet and pesticide selectivity
Augmenting and conserving earwigs as predators in apples and pears
Impacts of herbicides and orchard floor management on natural enemies
Improving recommendations for augmentation of commercially available natural enemies in orchards

Publications

Peer Reviewed
Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A., Coffey, J.L., Miller, G., Farfan, M.A. In press. Residual activity of acaricides for controlling spider mites in watermelon and their impacts on resident predatory mites. J. Econ. Entomol.

Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A., Snipes, Z., and Bergeron, P. In press. Acaricide efficacy and resistance in South Carolina tomato populations of twospotted spider mite. Florida Entomologist.

Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A., Moretti, E.A., Wickings, K., Wolfin, M.S., Northfield, T.D., Linn, C.E., Nault, B.A. Online First. Conventional soil management may promote nutrients that lure an insect pest to a toxic crop. Environ. Entomol. DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvaa167

Lewis, D., Cutulle, M., Schmidt-Jeffris, R., Blubaugh, C. 2020. Better together? Combining cover crop mulches, organic herbicides, and weed seed biological control in reduced-tillage crop systems. Environ. Entomol. 49: 1327–1334. DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvaa105

Bergeron, P.E. and Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A. 2020. Not all predators are equal: miticide non-target effects and differential selectivity. Pest Management Science. DOI: 10.1002/ps.5754

Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A. and Cutulle, M.A. 2019. Non-target impacts of herbicides on Tetranychus urticae and its predator, Phytoseiulus persimilis: implications for biological control. Pest Manag. Sci. 75: 3226-3234 DOI: 10.1002/ps.5443

Schmidt, J.M., Whitehouse, T.S., Green, K., Krehenwinkel, H., Schmidt-Jeffris, R., Sial, A. 2019. Local and landscape-scale heterogeneity shape spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) activity and natural enemy abundance: implications for trophic interactions. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ. 272: 86-94. DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2018.11.014

Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A. and Nault, B.A. 2018. Crop spatiotemporal dominance is a better predictor of pest and predator abundance than traditional partial approaches. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ. 265: 331-339. DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2018.06.017

Leach, A., Fuchs, M., Harding, R., Schmidt-Jeffris, R., and Nault, B.A. 2018. Importance of transplanted onions contributing to late-season iris yellow spot virus epidemics in New York. Plant Dis. 102: 1264-1272 DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-06-17-0793-RE

Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A. and Beers, E.H. 2018. Potential impacts of orchard pesticides on Tetranychus urticae: A predator-prey perspective. Crop Prot. 103: 56-64. DOI: 10.1016/j.cropro.2017.09.009
Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A. and Nault, B.A. 2017. Residual activity of diamide insecticides for Ostrinia nubilalis control in processing snap bean. Crop Prot. 98: 116-123. DOI: 10.1016/j.cropro.2017.03.019

Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A. and Beers, E.H. 2017. Effects of foliar apple trichomes on Galendromus occidentalis (Nesbitt) (Acari: Phytoseiidae): preferences, fecundity, and prey consumption. Agric. Forest Entomol. 19: 93-100. DOI: 10.1111/afe.12184

Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A. and Nault, B.A. 2016. Anthranilic diamide insecticides delivered via multiple approaches to control vegetable pests: a case study in snap bean. J. Econ. Entomol. 109: 2479-2488. DOI: 10.1093/jee/tow219

Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A., Huseth, A.S., and Nault, B.A. 2016. Estimating E-Race European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) adult activity in snap bean fields based on corn planting intensity and their activity in corn in New York agroecosystems. J. Econ. Entomol. 109: 2210-2214. DOI: 10.1093/jee/tow149

Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A. and Beers, E.H. 2016. Assessment of techniques for marking Galendromus occidentalis (Nesbitt). Biocontrol Sci. Techn. 26: 866-871. DOI: 10.1080/09583157.2016.1158782

Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A. and Beers, E.H. 2016. Phenology of phytoseiid populations in an insecticide-free apple orchard. Exp. Appl. Acarol. 68: 173-182. DOI: 10.1007/s10493-015-9977-1

Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A. and Beers, E.H. 2015. Comparative biology and pesticide susceptibility of Amblydromella caudiglans and Galendromus occidentalis as spider mite predators in apple orchards. Exp. Appl. Acarol. 67: 35-47. DOI: 10.1007/s10493-015-9931-2

Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A., Beers, E.H, and Crowder, D.W. 2015. Phytoseiids in Washington commercial apple orchards: biodiversity and factors affecting abundance. Exp. Appl. Acarol. 67: 21-34. DOI: 10.1007/s10493-015-9927-y

Beers, E.H. and Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A. 2015. Impacts of orchard pesticides on Galendromus occidentalis: repellency and irritancy. J. Econ. Entom. 108: 259-265. DOI: 10.1093/jee/tou047

Schmidt, R.A. 2014. Leaf structures affect predatory mites (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) and biological control: A review. Exp. Appl. Acarol. 62: 1-17. DOI: 10.1007/s10493-013-9730-6

Beers, E.H. and Schmidt, R.A. 2014. Impacts of orchard pesticides on Galendromus occidentalis: lethal and sublethal effects. Crop Prot. 56: 16-24. DOI:10.1016/j.cropro.2013.10.010

Schmidt, R.A., Beers, E.H., Unruh, T.R., and Horton, D.R. 2013. Releases of insectary-reared Galendromus occidentalis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) in commercial apple orchards. J. Econ. Entom. 106: 1996-2005. DOI: 10.1603/EC13153

Non-refereed/Editor reviewed
Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A., Beers, E.H., and Duso, C. 2019. Insect pests of fruit: mites, pp. 425-451. In X. Xu and M. Fountain (eds.), Integrated management of insect pests and diseases of tree fruit. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge, UK. DOI: 10.19103/AS.2019.0046.20

Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A. and Coffey, J. 2019. Efficacy of Acaritouch against twospotted spider mite on lima beans, 2018. Arthropod Manag. Tests. DOI: 10.1093/amt/tsz073

Farfan, M. and Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A. 2019. Biodiversity of Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) of annual specialty crop systems: the current state of knowledge worldwide and the need for study in North America, pp.93-117. In: Skvarla M., Ochoa R., Verle Rodrigues J., Hutcheson H. (eds) Contemporary Acarology. Springer, Cham

Bergeron, P. and Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A. 2019. North American Strawberry Grower’s Association News. March Issue: 6-9.

Dye, K.C., Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A., Reall, T., Halfpenney, R. K., Whitener, A.B., and Gantz, J.D. 2018. 2016 Debates: Solving problems without borders. Am. Entomol. 64: 165-175. DOI: 10.1093/ae/tmy040

Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A. and Nelson, J. 2018. Gotta catch ‘em all: communicating entomology with Pokémon. Am. Entomol. 64: 159-164. DOI: 10.1093/ae/tmy048

Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A., Dye, K.C., and Whitener, A.B. 2017. 2015 Debates: Molecular biology and entomology: partnering for solutions. Am. Entomol. 63: 114-123. DOI: 10.1093/ae/tmx028

Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A. and Nault, B.A. 2016. Anthranilic diamides can potentially replace neonicotinoid seed treatments in vegetable crops. EntomologyToday. https://entomologytoday.org/2016/10/19/anthranilic-diamides-can-potentially-replace-neonicotinoid-seed-treatments-in-vegetable-crops/

Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A. and Nault, B.A. 2016. European corn borer control in snap bean, 2015. Arthropod Manag. Tests. 41: tsw047. DOI: 10.1093/amt/tsw047

Reall-Lincoln, T., Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A., and Del Pozo-Valdivia, A. 2016. 2014 Debates: Management strategies: solutions to grand challenges. Am. Entomol. 62: 98-107 DOI: 10.1093/ae/tmw033

Minteer, C.R., Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A., Coon, K., and Reall, T. 2015. 2013 Debates: Scientific issues that arise from a connected world. Am. Entomol. 61: 151-159. DOI: 10.1093/ae/tmv044

Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A. Five tried-and-true ways students can make the most of Entomology 2015. EntomologyToday. https://entomologytoday.org/2015/10/15/five-tried-and-true-ways-students-can-make-the-most-of-entomology-2015/