
Norman C. Leppla
ncl@ifas.ufl.edu
(50% Research, 45% Extension, 5% Teaching)
Education
- B.S., Arizona State University (Zoology), 1968
- M.S., Arizona State University (Zoology), 1970
- Ph.D., University of Arizona (Entomology/ Biological Sciences), 1972
Employment
- Professor and IPM Coordinator (2001-present), University of Florida.
- Professor (1999-2001), University of Florida.
- Professor and Center Director (1997-1998), University of Florida.
- Associate Director (1995-1996), USDA, APHIS, National Biological Control Institute.
- Chief (1992-1994), USDA, APHIS, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Methods Development.
- Director (1989-1992), USDA, APHIS, Science and Technology, Methods Development.
- Research Leader (1988-1989), USDA, ARS, Biological Control of Pests Research Lab.
- Research Entomologist (1972 - 1988), USDA, ARS, Insect Attractants, Behavior, and Basic Biology Research Laboratory.
Faculty Position Description
- Responsible for conducting IPM and biological control research, extension and education.
- Help develop and implement new pest management technologies in collaboration with public and private organizations that can use them to improve Florida's agricultural productivity and profitability, preserve natural resources, and protect urban environments.
- Establish a technology identification, development and delivery framework among international, national, state and private sector organizations to resolve technical problems in implementing IPM and biological control.
- Employ creative scientific and entrepreneurial skills to develop initiatives that advance IPM and biological control in Florida, particularly among private sector producers and suppliers.
Research
- Commercialize natural enemies for pests of agriculture, natural areas and urban environments.
- Coordinate development of IPM systems based on sustainable practices.
Extension
- Accelerate the implementation of new pest management technologies in collaboration with public and private organizations.
- Improve the productivity, profitability and safety of agriculture in Florida by expanding augmentation and conservation approaches to the biological control of pests.
- Help manage pests in natural areas and urban environments by means of IPM.
Teaching
- Prepare and deliver lectures, organize and conduct field demonstrations, and provide formal and informal guidance in the practical application of pest management principles.
- ENY 5241, Biological Control; ENY 6934, Selected Studies in Entomology.
- Provide guidance to graduate students and serve as advisor to their organization.
Accomplishments
- Led consolidation of the Mid-Florida Research and Education Center for two years and supervised construction of a new laboratory and teaching facility.
- Cooperatively established the Mole Cricket Task Force that re-established commercial production of a nematode for mole cricket biological control.
- Co-led projects to distribute the mole cricket nematode in Florida and Puerto Rico, and researched associated biology of both the pest and natural enemy.
- Helped to establish an IPM/Biological Control Working Group to build and maintain a new Web site to deliver information primarily to county extension faculty.
- Provided leadership as vice-chairman of the Florida Viticulture Advisory Council, chairman of Southern Region Res. Project S-303, conference chairman of the Association of Natural Bio-control Producers, and Pioneer Lecture chairman of the Florida Entomological Society.
Honors and Awards:
- 1993 Commendation, U.S. President's Special Rep. to the Northern Mariana Islands.
- 1993 USDA Achievement Award for Gypchek virus development.
- 1993 USDA Achievement Award for Implementing the National Biological Control Institute.
- 1995 USDA Group Honor Award for Excellence, leadership in whitefly management.
- 1995 Entomological Society of America Award for Contributions as Director of Certification.
- 1997 U.S. Vice-President's National Perf. Award for Transgenic Arthropod Regulation.
- 1998 Certificate of Appreciation from the Association of Natural Bio-Control Producers.
- 1999 Certificate of Appreciation from the 4th Caribbean Conference of Entomology.
- 1999 Award for leadership to the Association of Natural Bio-control Producers.
- 1999 Award for service to the Entomological Soc. of America, Comm. on Public Information.
- 2001 Florida Entomological Society Team Award for mole cricket biological control.
- 2001 Certificate of Appreciation, International Master Gardener Conference
Selected Publications
- Leppla, N. C., and H. G. Spangler. 1971. A flight-cage actograph for recording circadian periodicity of pink bollworm moths. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 64:1431-1434.
- Leppla, N. C. 1972. Calling behavior during pheromone release in the female pink bollworm. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 65:281-282.
- Leppla, N. C., S. L. Carlyle, and T. C. Carlysle. 1974. Effects of surface sterilization and automatic collection on cabbage looper eggs. J. Econ. Entomol. 67:33-36.
- Leppla, N. C., and W. L. Nutting. 1974. Circadian rhythms and the influence of photoperiod on mating frequency in pink bollworm moths. J. Ga. Entomol. Soc. 9:54-58.
- Leppla, N. C., L. N. Standifer, and E. H. Erickson, Jr. 1974. Culturing larvae of blister beetles on diets containing different pollens collected by honeybees. J. Apicultural Res. 13:243-247.
- Leppla, N. C., J. L. Sharp, W. K. Turner, E. W. Hamilton, and D. R. Bennett. 1974. Rhythmic activity of Plecia nearctica. Environ. Entomol. 3:323-326.
- Leppla, N. C. 1974. Influence of density, age, and sex ratio on mating in pink bollworm moths. J. Ga. Entomol. Soc. 9:193-198.
- Sharp, J. L., N. C. Leppla, D. R. Bennett, W. K. Turner, and E. W. Hamilton. l974. Flight ability of Plecia nearctica in the laboratory. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 67:735-738.
- Leppla, N. C., J. D. Solomon, and R. E. Doolittle. l975. Culturing the carpenterworm. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 68:683-685.
- Carlyle, S. L., N. C. Leppla, and E. R. Mitchell. l975. Cabbage looper: A labor reducing oviposition cage. J. Ga. Entomol. Soc. l0:232-234.
- Leppla, N. C., S. L. Carlyle, W. J. Pons, and E. R. Mitchell. 1975. Use of a rodent rearing container for culturing insects. J. Ga. Entomol. Soc. l0:326-327.
- Leppla, N. C., and W. K. Turner. l975. Carbon dioxide output and mating in adult cabbage looper moths exposed to discrete light regimes. J. Insect Physiol. 2l:l233-1236.
- Antonio, A. Q., J. R. McLaughlin, N. C. Leppla, and C. W. Green. 1975. Culturing the lesser peachtree borer. J. Econ. Entomol. 68:309-3l0.
- Leppla, N. C., T. C. Carlysle, and R. H. Guy. l975. Reproductive systems and the mechanics of copulation in Plecia nearctica Hardy (Diptera: Bibionidae). Int. J. Insect Morphol. and Embryol. 4:299-306.
- Leppla, N. C. l975. Habits of the hypertrophic blister beetle, Cysteodemus armatus. Southwestern Naturalist 2l:49-54.
- Leppla, N. C. l976. Circadian rhythms of locomotion and reproductive behavior in adult velvetbean caterpillars. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 69:45-48.
- Leppla, N. C., and W. K. Turner. l976. Circadian rhythms of locomotion in adult Caribbean fruit flies. Fla. Entomol. 59:6l-62.
- Leppla, N. C. l976. Starch compounds as adjunct gelling agents in larval diet of the cabbage looper. J. Ga. Entomol. Soc. ll:25l-254.
- Greene, G. L., N. C. Leppla, and W. A. Dickerson. l976. Velvetbean caterpillar: A rearing procedure and artificial medium. J. Econ. Entomol. 69:487-488.
- Spencer, N. R., N. C. Leppla, and G. A. Presser. l976. Sodium alginate in cabbage looper diet. Entomol. Exp. & Appl. 20:39-42.
- Leppla, N. C., M. D. Huettel, D. L. Chambers, and W. K. Turner. l976. Comparative life history and respiratory activity of "wild" and colonized Caribbean fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae). Entomophaga. 2l:353-357.
- Leppla, N. C., T. R. Ashley, R. H. Guy, and G. D. Butler. l977. Laboratory life history of the velvetbean caterpillar. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 70:2l7-220.
- Turner, W. K., N. C. Leppla, V. Chew, and F. L. Lee. l977. Light quality influences on carbon dioxide output and mating of cabbage looper moths. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 70:259-263.
- Buschman, L. L., W. H. Whitcomb, R. C. Hemenway, D. L. Mays, N. Ru, N. C. Leppla, and B. J. Smittle. l977. Predators of velvetbean caterpillar eggs in Florida soybeans. Environ. Entomol. 6:403-407.
- Leppla, N. C., E. W. Hamilton, R. H. Guy, and F. L. Lee. l979. Circadian rhythms of locomotion in six noctuid species. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 72:209-2l5.
- Leppla, N. C., J. D. Solomon, and W. J. Pons. l979. Sexing carpenterworm larvae. J. Ga. Entomol. Soc. l4:l44-148.
- Wood, J. R., S. L. Poe, and N. C. Leppla. l979. Winter survival of fall armyworm pupae in Florida. Environ. Entomol. 8:249-252.
- Ashley, T. R., E. R. Mitchell, N. C. Leppla, and E. E. Grissell. l980. Parasites attacking fall armyworm larvae, Spodoptera frugiperda, in late-planted field corn. Fla. Entomol. 63:l36-142.
- Leppla, N. C., and R. H. Guy. l980. Survival and dispersal of laboratory-adapted and wild type cabbage looper larvae. Environ. Entomol. 9:385-388.
- Leppla, N. C., R. H. Guy, D. L. Chambers, and R. B. Workman. l980. Laboratory colonization of a noctuid moth. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 73:568-57l.
- Webb, J. C., H. R. Agee, N. C. Leppla, and C. O. Calkins. l98l. Monitoring insect quality. Trans. ASAE. 24:476-479.
- Leppla, N. C. l98l. The Florida entomological club. Fla. Entomol. 64:358-360.
- Leppla, N. C., W. R. Fisher, J. R. Rye, and C. W. Green. l982. Lepidopteran mass rearing: An inside view, pp. l23-133. In: Sterile Insect Technique and Radiation in Insect Control. International Atomic Energy Agency SM-255/l4.
- Leppla, N. C., M. D. Huettel, D. L. Chambers, T. R. Ashley, D. H. Miyashita, T. T. Y. Wong, and E. J. Harris. l983. Strategies for colonization and maintenance of the Mediterranean fruit fly. Ent. Exp. & Appl. 33:89-96.
- Heath, R. R., J. H. Tumlinson, N. C. Leppla, J. R. McLaughlin, B. Dueben, E. Dundulis, and R. H. Guy. l983. Identification of a sex pheromone produced by female velvetbean caterpillar moth. J. Chem. Ecol. 9:645-656.
- Leppla, N. C. l983. Chemically mediated isolation between cabbage looper and soybean looper moths (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Environ. Entomol. l2:l760-l765.
- Leppla, N. C., T. E. Nelson, J. R. Peterson, and G. W. Adams. 1983. Flight and reproduction of velvetbean caterpillar moths in continuous zero gravity aboard the space shuttle Columbia. Bull. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 29:l0-l3.
- Leppla, N. C., P. V. Vail, and J. R. Rye. l984. Mass rearing the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni, pp. 248-254. In E. G. King and N. C. Leppla (Eds.), Advances and Challenges in Insect Rearing. Agric. Res. Serv., USDA, U.S. Government Printing Office. Washington, D.C. 306p.
- Leppla, N. C. l984. Systems management of insect population suppression programs based on mass production of biological control organisms, pp. 292-294. Ibid.
- Fisher, W. R., and N. C. Leppla. l985. Insectary design and operation, pp. l67-l83. In P. Singh and R. F. Moore (Eds.), Handbook of Insect Rearing, Vol. 1. Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam.
- Leppla, N. C. l985. Anticarsia gemmatalis, pp. l89-l96. Ibid.
- Guy, Richard H., N. C. Leppla, J. R. Rye, C. W. Green, S. L. Barrette, and K. A. Hollien. l985. Trichoplusia ni, pp. 487-494. In Handbook of Insect Rearing, Vol. 2, P. Singh and R. F. Moore (eds.), Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam.
- Leppla, N. C., and J. M. Freeman. 1985. A failsafe device for controlled environment chambers. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 78:863-864.
- Leppla, N. C., and G. K. Claire. 1985. An attempt to induce pupation in carpenterworm larvae. Florida Entomol. 68:495-496.
- Wales, P. J., C. S. Barfield, and N. C. Leppla. 1985. Activity of velvetbean caterpillar moths recorded by a new actograph. Physiol. Entomol. 10:463-465.
- Landolt, P. J., R. R. Heath, and N. C. Leppla. 1986. (Z,Z,Z)-eicosatriene and (Z,Z,Z) heneicosatriene as sex pheromone components of Mocis disseverans (Walker). Environ. Entomol. 15:1272-1274.
- Leppla, N. C., R. H. Guy, R. R. Heath, and B. Dueben. 1987. Laboratory Studies of the courtship of the velvetbean caterpillar moth, Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 80:278-283.
- Koehler, P. G., H. R. Agee, N. C. Leppla, and R. S. Patterson. 1987. Spectral sensitivity and behavioral response to light quality in the German cockroach. (Orthoptera: Blattellidae). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 80:820-822.
- Heath, R. R., P. J. Landolt, N. C. Leppla, and B. D. Dueben. 1987. Identification of a male produced pheromone of Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) attractive to conspecific males. J. Chem. Ecol. 14:1121-1129.
- Singh, P., N. C. Leppla, and F. Adams. 1988. Feeding behavior and dietary substrates for rearing larvae of the Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha suspensa (Loew). Florida Entomol. 71:380-384.
- Leppla, N. C., P. G. Koehler, and H. R. Agee. 1989. Circadian rhythms of the German cockroach (Dictyoptera: Blatellidae): Locomotion in response to different photoperiods and wavelengths of light. J. Insect Physiol. 35:63-66.
- Leppla, N. C. 1989. Laboratory colonization of fruit flies, pp. 91-103. In A. S. Robinson and G. Hooper (Eds.), World Crop Pests, Vol. 3 B, Fruit Flies, Their Biology, Natural Enemies and Control. Elsevier, Amsterdam. 447 p.
- Leppla, N. C., and W. R. Fisher. 1989. Total quality control in insect mass production for insect pest management. J. Appl. Entomol. 108:452-461.
- Leppla, N. C., and T. R. Ashley. 1989. Quality control in insect mass production: A review and model. Bull. Entomol. Soc. Amer. Winter 1989:33-44.
- Leppla, N. C., and A. A. Guerra. 1990. Aplicaciones de la colonizacion y produccion masiva de insectos en control biologico, pp. 114-124. In Miscelanea Sociedad Colombiana de Entomologia, No. 17.
- Koehler, P. G., N. C. Leppla, and R. S. Patterson. 1990. Circadian rhythm in the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis (Siphonoptera: Pulicidae), pp. 661-665. In Chronobiology: Its Role in Clinical Medicine, General Biology, and Agriculture, Part B. Wiley-Liss, New York.
- Leppla, N. C., and D. W. Williams. 1992. Mass rearing beneficial insects and the renaissance of biological control. Pesquisa Agropecuaria Brasileira. 27:231-238.
- Williams, D. W., and N. C. Leppla. 1992. The Future of Augmentation of Beneficial Arthropods, pp. 87-102. In W. C. Kauffman and J. R. Nechols (Eds.), Selection Criteria and Ecological Consequences of Importing Natural Enemies. Proc. Thomas Say Publ. in Entomol. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 117 p.
- Leppla, N. C., and E. S. Delfosse. 1995. The Increasing Significance of Biological Control and an Overview of Regulations Governing Biological Control Organisms, pp. 9-19. In S. L. C. Fosbroke and K. W. Gottschalk (Eds), Proceedings U.S. Dept. Agric. Interagency Gypsy Moth Research. U.S.F.S., N.E. Forest Expt. Sta. Gen. Tech. Rept. NE-213. 152 p.
- Siegel, P. D., S. Short, W. G. Jones, N. C. Leppla, D. M. Lewis, B. Ducatman, E. A. Ronk, T. A. Bledsoe, B. Husberg, E. Jennison, E. Janotkova, J. C. Mull, T. A. Shahan, N. H. Al-Hamandi, D. Freeland, J. Odencrantz, and E. L. Petsonk. 1995. Nasal lavage for exposure and health assessment, pp. 81-86. In H. Nordman et al. (Eds.) Proceedings of the Sixth U.S.-Finnish Joint Symposium on Occupational Health and Safety. Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki. 199 p.
- Leppla, N. C., E. S. Delfosse, and R. S. Soper. 1995. Technical and regulatory constraints to international cooperation in biological control, pp. 385-395. In D. Gerling (Ed.), Bemesia 1995: Taxonomy, Biology, Damage, Control and Management. Intercept Lt., Andover, Hants. UK. 702 p.
- Honda, J. Y., M. Han, and N. C. Leppla. 1996. Sodium polyacrylamide polyacrylate, a gelling agent in diets for cabbage looper, omnivorous looper and western avocado leafroller. Ent. Exp. & Appl. 81:175-180.
- Leppla, N. C. 1996. Environmentally Friendly Methods for Reducing the Damage Caused by Exotic Weeds in Natural Habitats. Castanea. 61:214-225.
- Petsonk, E., S. Hodgins, B. Husberg, J. Odenerantz, S. Short, P. Hodgins, J. Hankinson, and N. Leppla. 1996. Respiratory and Skin Symptoms in Workers Who Raise Insects: Association with Insect Type.
- Leppla, N. C., and E. G. King. 1996. The role of parasitoid and predator production in technology transfer of field crop biological control. Entomophaga. 41:343-360.
- Leppla, N. C., and W. G. Eden. 1999. Facilities and Procedures to Prevent the Escape of Insects from Large-Scale Rearing Operations, pp. 186-190. In R. P. Kahn and S. B. Bathur, (Eds). Plant Protection and Quarantine Concepts, Containment Facilities. Amer. Phytopath. Soc. Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. 213 p.
- Osborne, L. S., N. C. Leppla and R. S. Osborne. 2001. Biological Control in Specific Crops: Full IPM Programs- Foliage Plants, Chapter 15c. In K. M. Heinz, R. G. Van Driesche and M. P. Parella (Eds.). Biological Control of Arthropod Pests in Protected Culture. Ball Publishing, Batavia, Illinois (in press).
- Leppla, N. C. 2001. Aspects of total quality control for the production of natural enemies. In J. C. van Lenteren, (Ed.), Quality Control of Natural Enemies Used in Biological Pest Control: Theoretical Background and Development of Testing Procedures. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. (in press).
- Leppla, N. C. 2001. Rearing of Insects. In V. H. Resh and R. Carde (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Insects. Academic Press, San Diego, California. (in press)