JOHN A. BYERS
Research Scientist

Now at:

 Western Cotton Research Laboratory
USDA-ARS
4135 E. Broadway Road
Phoenix, AZ 85040
phone: 602-437-0121
jbyers@wcrl.ars.usda.gov
During my stay at Texas A&M University, I worked on the chemical ecology and behavior of the Imported Red Fire Ant. I primarily investigated the pheromone systems. In addition, nest temperatures were monitoried in relation to sugar balances. Prior to my stay in Texas, my career was developed in Sweden working on bark beetle chemical ecology. In Sweden I also studied red wood ants, Formica aquilonia which can be compared to fire ants in terms of heat maintaince and pheromones.
 
Education

I obtained my B.S. from Colorado State University in Entomology in 1971, and continued there receiving an M.S. in Entomology in 1973 (with Dr. J. Wayne Brewer). I then began my Ph.D. studies on chemical ecology of Dendroctonus and Ips bark beetles at the University of California at Berkeley in Entomology with Dr. David Wood (Ph.D. 1978). From 1978-1980 there were several shorter postdoctorals at Berkeley on bark beetles (with David Wood), elm bark beetles (with Dr. Pavel Svihra and Carl Koehler in extension Entomology) and entomogenous nematodes (with Dr. George Poinar). In 1981, I started a long postdoctoral in Sweden with Dr. Jan Löfqvist at Lund University on bark beetle pheromones. In 1989 my position became equivalent to associate professor with the title of Docent in 1989. I funded myself on several 3-year grants on research of forest tree-insect interactions at Lund University. In 1995, I moved from Lund University to the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences at Alnarp (10 km from Lund) and continued with bark beetle ecology, modelling, and plant resistance. In 2001, I came back to the USA to work on fire ants at the Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, with Dr. Brad Vinson.

Publications

Byers, J.A., Zhang, Q.H., Schlyter, F., and Birgersson, G. 1998. Volatiles from nonhost birch trees inhibit pheromone response in spruce bark beetles. Naturwissenschaften 85:557-561.

Byers, J.A. 1999. Interactive learning using expert system quizzes on the internet. Educational Media International 36:191-194.

Byers, J.A. 1999. Effects of attraction radius and flight paths on catch of scolytid beetles dispersing outward through rings of pheromone traps. Journal of Chemical Ecology 25:985-1005.

Byers, J.A. 2000. Wind-aided dispersal of simulated bark beetles flying through forests. Ecological Modelling 125:231-243.

Byers, J.A., Zhang, Q.H., & Birgersson, G. 2000. Strategies of a bark beetle, Pityogenes bidentatus, in an olfactory landscape. Naturwissenschaften 87:503-507.

El-Sayed, A.M. & Byers, J.A. 2000. Inhibitory effect of monoterpenes on response of Pityogenes bidentatus to aggregation pheromone released by piezoelectric sprayer for precision release of semiochemicals. Journal of Chemical Ecology 26:1795-1809.

Schlyter F., Zhang Q-H., Anderson P., Byers J.A., Wadhams L.J., Löfqvist, J., & Birgersson G. 2000. Electrophysiological and behavioural responses of Scandinavian Tomicus piniperda and T. minor (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), to non-host leaf and bark volatiles. Canadian Entomologist 132:965-981.

Byers, J.A. 2001. Correlated random walk equations of animal dispersal resolved by simulation. Ecology 82:1680-1690.

Byers, J.A. 2001. Internet programs for drawing moth pheromone analogs and searching literature database. Journal of Chemical Ecology in press operate program

Byers, J.A. 2001. Combinatorial constraints on the olfactory communication channels of moths. Journal of Chemical Ecology submitted

Byers, J.A. 2001. Patterns of pheromone component use in moths studied by computer analysis of pherolist files. Journal of Chemical Ecology submitted

SCIENTIFIC SOFTWARE
EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE
GENERAL SOFTWARE

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  Created by John Byers, 2001.