Recent Publications

For a complete list click here (pdf)

2017

Hogg, B. N., Mills, N. J., and Daane, K. M. 2017. Temporal patterns in the abundance and species composition of spiders on host plants of the invasive moth Epiphyas postvittana. Environmental Entomology (in press)

Heimpel, G. E., and Mills, N. J. 2017. Biological Control: Ecology and Applications. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.

Mace, K. C., and Mills, N. J. 2017. Connecting natural enemy metrics to biological control activity for aphids in California walnuts. Biological Control 106: 16-26.

2016

Andersen, J. C., and Mills, N. J. 2016. Geographic origins and post-introduction hybridization between strains of Trioxys pallidus introduced to western North America for the biological control of walnut and filbert aphids. Biological Control 103: 218-229.

Hopper, J. V., and Mills, N. J. 2016. Novel multitrophic interactions among an exotic generalist herbivore, its host plants and resident enemies in California. Oecologia 182: 1117-1128.

Jones, V. P., Mills, N. J., Brunner, J. F., Horton, D. R., Beers, E. H., Unruh, T. R., Shearer, P. W., Goldberger, J. R., Castagnoli, S., Lehrer, N., Milickzy, E.,Steffan, S. A., Amarasekare, K. G., Chambers, U., Gadino, A. N., Gallardo, R. K., and Jones, W. E. 2016. From planning to execution to the future: An overview of a concerted effort to enhance biological control in apple, pear, and walnut orchards in the western U.S. Biological Control 102: 1-6.

Amarasekare, K. G., Shearer, P. W., and Mills, N. J. 2016. Testing the selectivity of pesticide effects on natural enemies in laboratory bioassays. Biological Control 102: 7-16.

Mills, N. J., Beers, E. H., Shearer, P. W., Unruh, T. R., Amarasekare, K. G. 2016. Comparative analysis of pesticide effects on natural enemies in western orchards: a synthesis of laboratory bioassay data. Biological Control 102: 17-25.

Shearer, P. W., Amarasekare, K. G., Castagnoli, S., Beers, E. H., Jones, V. P., and Mills, N. J. 2016. Large-plot field studies to assess impacts of newer insecticides on non-target arthropods in Western U. S. orchards. Biological Control 102: 26-34.

Beers, E. H., Mills, N. J., Shearer, P. W., Horton, D. R., Milickzy, E. R., and Amarasekare, K. G. 2016. Non-target effects of orchard pesticides on natural enemies: Lessons from the field and laboratory. Biological Control 102: 44-52.

Jones, V. P., Horton, D. R., Mills, N. J., Unruh, T. R., Baker, C. C., Melton, T. D., Milickzy, E., Steffan, S. A., Shearer, P. W., and Amarasekare, K. 2016. Evaluating herbivore-induced plant volatiles and floral volatiles for monitoring natural enemies in apple, pear and walnut orchards. Biological Control 102: 53-65.

Mills, N. J., Jones, V. P., Baker, C. C., Melton, T. D., Steffan, S. A., Unruh, T. R., Horton, D. R., Shearer, P. W., Amarasekare, K. G., and Milickzy, E. R. 2016. Using herbivore-induced plant volatiles and floral volatiles to attract natural enemies for studies of ecosystem structure and function. Biological Control 102: 66-76.

Jones, V. P., Horton, D. R., Mills, N. J., Unruh, T. R., Milickzy, E., Shearer, P. W., Baker, C. C., and Melton, T. D. 2016. Using plant volatile traps to develop phenology models for natural enemies: An example using Chrysopa nigricornis (Burmeister) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). Biological Control 102: 77-84.

Mace, K. C., and Mills, N. J. 2016. Nitrogen-mediated interaction: a walnut-aphid-parasitoid system. Environmental Entomology 45: 891-896.

Hopper, J.V., Huang W-F, Solter L.F., Mills N.J. 2016. Pathogenicity, morphology, and characterization of a Nosema fumiferanae isolate (Microsporidia: Nosematidae) from the light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in California. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 134: 38-47.

Hopper, J.V. and Mills N.J. 2016. Pathogenicity, prevalence and intensity of a microsporidian infection by Nosema fumiferanae postvittana in the light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana, in California. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 134: 27–34.

Andersen, J. C., Bourchier, R. S., Grevstad, F. S., Van Driesche, R., Mills, N. J. 2016. Development and verification of SNP arrays to monitor hybridization between two host-associated strains of knotweed psyllid, Aphalara itadori. Biological Control 93: 49-55.

2015

Hopper, J. V., and Mills, N. J. 2015. Consequences of infanticide for a gregarious ectoparasitoid of leafroller larvae. Ecological Entomology 40: 461-470.

Mace, K., and Mills, N. J. 2015. Response of walnut aphid populations to increasing foliar nitrogen content. Agricultural and Forest Entomology 17: 277-284.

Bürgi, L. P., Roltsch, W. J., and Mills, N. J. 2015. Allee effects and population regulation: a test for biotic resistance against an invasive leafroller by resident parasitoids. Population Ecology 57: 215-225.

2014

Andersen, J. C., and Mills, N. J. 2014. iMSAT: a novel approach to the development of microsatellite loci using barcoded Illumina libraries. BMC Genomics 15:858.

Bayes, S. K., Hellerstein, M. K., Fitch, M., Mills, N. J., and Welter, S. C. 2014. You are what you eat: fatty acid profiles as a method to track the habitat movement of an insect. Oecologia 175: 1073-1080.

Mills, N. J. 2014. Plant health management: Biological control of insect pests. In: Encyclopedia of Agriculture and Food Systems, Vol. 4. Van Alfen, N. (Ed.), San Diego, Elsevier, pp. 375-387.

de Valpine, P., Scranton, K., Knape, J., Ram, K., and Mills, N. J. 2014. The importance of individual variation in development in stage-structured population models. Ecology Letters 17: 1026-1038.

Bürgi, L. P., and Mills, N. J. 2014. Lack of enemy release for an invasive leafroller in California: temporal patterns and influence of host plant origin. Biological Invasions 16: 1021-1034.

Hogg, B. N., Wang, X.-G., Mills, N. J., and Daane, K. M. 2014. Resident spiders as predators of the recently introduced light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 151: 65-74.

Chaplin-Kramer, R., de Valpine, P., Mills, N. J., and Kremen, C. 2014. Detecting pest control services across spatial and temporal scales. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 181: 206-212.

2013

Scranton, K., Stavrinides, M., Mills, N. J., and de Valpine, P. 2013. Small-scale intraspecific life history variation in herbivorous spider mites (Tetranychus pacificus) is associated with host plant cultivar. PLoS ONE 8(9): e72980.

Mills, N. J. 2013. Biological pest control in organic tree crops in the western U.S.: An overview. Acta Horticulturae 1001: 105-110.

Bürgi, L. P., and Mills, N. J. 2013. Developmental strategy and life history traits of Meteorus ictericus, a successful resident parasitoid of the exotic Light Brown Apple Moth in California. Biological Control 66: 173-182.

Hogg, B. N., Wang, X.-G., Levy, K., Mills, N. J., and Daane, K. M. 2013. Complementary effects of resident natural enemies on the suppression of the introduced moth Epiphyas postvittana. Biological Control 64: 125-131.

Engelkes, T., and Mills, N. J. 2013. A fast-track for invasion: Invasive plants promote the performance of an invasive herbivore. Biological Invasions 15: 101-111.

2012

Nelson, E. H., Hogg, B. A., Mills, N. J., and Daane, K. M. 2012. Syrphid flies suppress lettuce aphids. BioControl 57: 819-826.

Buergi, L. P., and Mills, N. J. 2012. Ecologically relevant measures of the physiological tolerance of light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana, to high temperature extremes. Journal of Insect Physiology 58: 1184-1191.

Herrera-Reddy, A. M., Carruthers, R. I., and Mills, N. J. 2012. Integrated management of Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) using biological control. Invasive Plant Science and Management 5: 69-82.

Wang, X.-G., Levy, K., Mills, N. J., and Daane, K. M. 2012. Light brown apple moth in California: a diversity of host plants and indigenous parasitoids. Environmental Entomology 41: 81-90.

Engelkes, T., and Mills, N. J. 2012. A conceptual framework for understanding the success of arthropod predator and parasitoid invasions. In: Invasive Alien Arthropod Predators and Parasitoids: An Ecological Approach. Roy, H., De Clercq, P., Lawson Handley, L.-J., Sloggett, J. J., Poland, R. & Wajnberg, E. (Eds.), Springer, pp. 9-19.

Mills, N. J. 2012. Transient host-parasitoid dynamics illuminate the practice of biological control. Journal of Animal Ecology 81: 1-3.

2011

Hopper, J. V., Nelson, E. H., Daane, K. M., and Mills, N. J. 2011. Growth, development and consumption by four syrphid species associated with the lettuce aphid, Nasonovia ribisnigri, in California. Biological Control 58: 271-276.

Engelkes, T., and Mills, N. J. 2011. A conceptual framework for understanding arthropod predator and parasitoid invasions. BioControl 56: 383-393.

Cheng, R.X., Meng, L., Mills, N.J., and Li, B.P. 2011. Host preference between symbiotic and aposymbiotic Aphis fabae, by the aphid parasitoid, Lysiphlebus ambiguous. Journal of Insect Science 11(81): 1-13.

Lozier, J. D., and Mills, N. J. 2011. Predicting the potential invasive range of light brown apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana) using biologically informed and correlative species distribution models. Biological Invasions 13: 2409-2421.

Hogg, B. N., Nelson, E. H., Mills, N. J., and Daane, K. M. 2011. Floral resources enhance aphid suppression by a hoverfly. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 141: 138-144.

Latham, D. R., and Mills, N. J. 2011. Effects of temperature on the life history parameters and population growth rates of Hyalopterus pruni (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Journal of Economic Entomology 104: 1864-1869.

Bürgi, L. P., Roltsch W.J. and Mills, N. J. 2011. Abundance, age structure, and voltinism of Light Brown Apple Moth populations in California. Environmental Entomology 40: 1370-1377.

Stavrinides, M. C., and Mills, N. J. 2011. Influence of temperature on the reproductive and demographic parameters of two spider mite pests of vineyards and their natural predator. BioControl 56: 315-325.

Chaplin-Kramer, R., Kliebenstein, D., Chiem, A., Morrill, E., Mills, N., and Kremen, C. 2011. Chemically-mediated tritrophic interactions: opposing effects of glucosinolates on a specialist herbivore and its predators. Journal of Applied Ecology 48: 880-887.

Herrera, A. M., Carruthers, R. I., and Mills, N. J. 2011. No evidence for increased performance of a specialist psyllid on invasive French broom. Acta Oecologia 37: 79-86.

Herrera, A. M., Carruthers, R. I., and Mills, N. J. 2011. Introduced populations of Genista monspessulana (French broom) are more dense and produce a greater seed rain in California, USA, than native populations in the Mediterranean Basin of Europe. Biological Invasions 13: 369-380.

2010

Mills, N. J. 2010. Egg parasitoids in biological control and integrated pest management. In: Egg Parasitoids in Agroecosystems with Emphasis on Trichogramma. Postali Parra, J. R., Consoli, F. L., Zucchi, R. A. (Eds.), Springer, pp. 384-411.

Stavrinides, M. C., Lara, J. R., and Mills, N. J. 2010. Comparative influence of temperature on development and biological control of two common vineyard pests (Acari: Tetranychidae). Biological Control 55: 126-131.

Stavrinides M. C., Daane, K. M., Lampinen, B. D., and Mills, N. J. 2010. Plant water stress, leaf temperature and spider mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) outbreaks in California vineyards. Environmental Entomology 39: 1232-1241.

Gutierrez, A. P., Mills, N. J., and Ponti, L. 2010. Limits to the potential distribution of light brown apple moth in Arizona-California based on climate suitability and host plant availability. Biological Invasions 12: 3319-3331.

Bürgi, L. P., and Mills, N. J. 2010. Cold tolerance of the overwintering larval instars of light brown apple moth Epiphyas postvittana. Journal of Insect Physiology 56: 1645-1650.

Latham, D.R., and Mills, N.J. 2010. Life history characteristics of Aphidius transcaspicus, a parasitoid of mealy aphids (Hyalopterus species). Biological Control 54: 147-152.

Stavrinides, M. C., Van Nieuwenhuyse, P., Van Leeuwen, T., and Mills, N. J. 2010. Development of acaricide resistance in Pacific spider mite (Tetranychus pacificus) from California vineyards. Experimental and Applied Acarology 50: 243-254.

Latham, D. R., and Mills, N. J. 2010. Quantifying aphid predation: the mealy plum aphid Hyalopterus pruni as a case study. Journal of Applied Ecology 47: 200-208.

Mills, N. J., and Kean, J. M. 2010. Behavioral studies, molecular approaches, and modeling: methodological contributions to biological control success. Biological Control 52: 255-262.