My overall area of academic interest is applied insect ecology emphasizing the associations of soil insects with perennial grass-based agroecosystems.  My current research and extension program in soil insect ecology and turfgrass entomology emphasizes three trajectories. The first is on the biology, ecology and management of key turfgrass pests. Our objective is to fill major knowledge gaps in our understanding of biology and ecology, advance alternative cultural and biological controls, disseminate the newest information, and identify and exploit new windows for pest management. We are currently working with the European crane fly and the annual bluegrass weevil, highly relevant to NY State and the broader Northeast.  A second trajectory is on leveraging biologicals into the turfscape. Our objective is to broaden opportunities for biologically-based pest management of soil insect pests. There is an increasing demand for more limited use of chemical pesticides in turfgrass systems.  Under what circumstances can biologically-based pest management be effective, are these conditions widespread or reproducible, and how can we overcome limits to the adoption of these technologies?  Our contribution is to evaluate modern biologicals for turfgrass pest management and systematically investigate the additive and synergistic effects of combined tactics such as reduced rates of pesticides in tandem with biologicals.  A third trajectory is on the nontarget effects of pest management on soil arthropod communities. Our objective is to gauge the effect of pest management tactics on the abundance, diversity and ecological function of nontarget soil arthropods. Although microarthropods are attributed a large role in certain soil processes, our understanding of this major component of soil fauna is quite limited.  In order to measure the benevolence of pesticides used in lawn care, we are conducting field trials to test their effects on the abundance, diversity and function of nontarget arthropods to shed light on whether these common lawn care products have an effect on nontarget fauna (such as mites and springtails) and whether this is relevant to soil processes (such as decomposition).  We are conducting similar activities in Bt-transgenic cotton and maize systems in collaboration with South American colleagues.

Lab Website
http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/faculty/peck/lab/home.html

Invasive crane fly fact sheet
http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/factsheets/turfgrass/default.asp

Annual bluegrass weevil fact sheet
http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/factsheets/turfgrass/default.asp

Societies
Association for Tropical Biology (1997 – present)
Colombian Society of Entomology  (1997 – present)
Ecological Society of America  (1994 – present)
Entomological Society of America (1993 – present)
Entomological Society of Brazil (2001– present)
Florida Entomological Society (2000 – present)

Assignments
English Abstract editor, Revista Colombiana de Entomología (Colombian Journal of Entomology) (2003 – present)

Chair. Federal Formula Multistate project (NE-1025). “Biology, Ecology, and Management of Emerging Pests of Annual Bluegrass on Golf Courses.” (2007)

Anuar Morales, M.S. program (current)
Masanori Seto, Ph.D. program (current)
Maria Derval Diaz, M.S. (2006)

Selected Publications

• Ramirez, M., J. Rodriguez & D.C. Peck. Accepted. Comparison of ant communities (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in conventional and Bt-modified cotton in the Cauca Valley (in Spanish). Revista Colombiana de Entomología, accepted.
  
  
• Diaz, M.D. & D.C. Peck. In revision. Overwintering of annual bluegrass weevils, Listronotus maculicollis (Dietz) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in the golf course landscape.  Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, in revision.
  
  
• Peck, D.C. & D. Held. 2007. Crane flies. In: Lamp, Berberet, Higley & Baird (eds.) Handbook of Forage and Rangeland Insects. Entomological Society of America.
  
  
• Peck, D.C., E.R. Hoebeke & C. Klass. 2006. Detection and establishment of the European crane flies Tipula paludosa Meigen and Tipula oleracea L. (Diptera: Tipulidae) in New York: a review of their distribution, invasion history, and recognition.  Proceeding of the Entomological Society of Washington 108(4): 985-994.
  
  
• Rodríguez, J. & D.C. Peck. 2006. Population parameters of Zulia carbonaria (Homoptera: Cercopidae) on Brachiaria ruziziensis (in Spanish). Revista Colombiana de Entomología 32(2): 145-150.
  
  
• Rodríguez, J. & D.C. Peck. 2006. Biology and habits of Mahanarva andigena (Homoptera: Cercopidae) under screenhouse conditions (in Spanish). Revista Colombiana de Entomología 33(1): in press.
  
  
• Castro, U., A. Morales & D.C. Peck. 2005. Population dynamics and phenology of the pasture spittlebug Zulia carbonaria (Lallemand) (Homoptera: Cercopidae) in the Cauca Valley of Colombia (in Spanish).  Neotropical Entomology 34(3):459-470.
  
  
• Peck, D.C., A. Morales & U. Castro. 2004. Alternative methods for rearing grass-feeding spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Cercopidae). Neotropical Entomology 33(3):307-314.
  
  
• Peck, D.C., J. Rodríguez Ch. & L.A. Gómez. 2004. Identity and first record of the spittlebug Mahanarva bipars (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cercopidae) on sugarcane in Colombia. Florida Entomologist 87(1):82-84.
  
  
• Peck, D.C. & V. Thompson. 2004. Cercopoidea – Spittlebugs, pp 156-160. In: J. Capinera (ed.) Encyclopedia of Entomology. Kluwer Academic.

Selected Presentations

• Peck, D.C. 2007. Managing the annual bluegrass weevil: lessons from the past, challenges of the present and visions for the future. Adirondacks Regional Conference, NYS Turfgrass Association, Lake Placid, NY. 03/27/07.
  
  
• Peck, D.C. 2007. Three years post-invasion: status of European crane flies in turfgrass of the Northeast. Symposium: Status updates on invasive insects of concern in the Northeast.  Eastern Branch meeting, Entomological Society of America, Harrisburg, PA. 03/19/07.
  
  
• Peck, D.C. 2007. Nailing the culprit: diagnosis of insect pest problems in turfgrass. Western Pennsylvania Turf Conference, Pennsylvania Turfgrass Association, Pittsburgh, PA. 03/07/07.
  
  
• Peck, D.C. 2006. The nature and relevance of non-target effects: impacts of white grub controls on soil arthropod communities. Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD. 10/13/06.
  
  
• Peck, D.C. & D. Olmstead. 2006. Invasive Tipula crane flies in the Northeast: geographic distribution and local incidence in turfgrass. Entomological Society of America national conference, Indianapolis, IN. 12/10/06.
  
  
• Peck, D.C. 2005. Response, recovery and resilience of soil arthropod communities to the nontarget effects of white grub control. Symposium: Developing ecosystem-oriented approaches for managing turfgrass and ornamental pests. Entomological Society of America, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. 12/16/05.
  
  
• Peck, D.C. & M. Diaz. 2005. Challenges and perspectives for managing the annual bluegrass weevil. 14th Annual Rutgers Turfgrass Symposium. Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. 01/13/05.
  
  
• Peck, D.C. 2005. Applicable practices for improving the management of sugar cane insect pests in Pantaleón (in Spanish). Scientific Week, Pantaleón Sugar Holdings, Santa Lucia Cotzumalguapa, Guatemala. 09/23/05.
  
  
• Peck, D.C. 2005. Perspectives for the management of grass-feeding spittlebugs in sugar cane (in Spanish).  CENGICANA (Guatemalan Sugar Cane Research and Training Center), Santa Lucia Cotzumalguapa, Guatemala. 09/21/05.