Friends of Merrymeeting Bay’s sixth presentation of its 27th annual Winter Speaker Series — Biocontrol Research in Merrymeeting Bay — will feature Hilary Peterson, integrated pest management specialist with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry.

This event is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, via Zoom. It is accessible via hyperlink found at fomb.org.

For a variety of reasons — including intentional and accidental human introductions and/or natural spreading by assorted vectors like wind, wildlife and climate change — the rise in non-native species are of worldwide concern. These species, sometimes simply exotic or often invasive, and whether flora or fauna, can sometimes cause dramatic and often harmful environmental and or economic effects, according to a news release from Ed Friedman with the Friends.

Traditional control of invasive species has often meant pesticide or poison application, which can often affect non-targeted species to their detriment. Recent years have seen increasing experimental research into “softer path” alternatives, including biological controls.

In this program, Peterson will describe her local work deploying two classical biological control agents for invasive species in Maine. With the invasive spotted wing drosophila (a cousin to the common fruit fly), which is extremely problematic for small fruit and berry crops, Peterson teamed up with the Fanning Lab at UMaine Maine to release the parasitoid Ganaspis brasiliensis.

For the invasive black swallow-wort, a challenging-to-control plant that confuses monarch butterflies, Peterson worked for a second year to release and track potential establishment of Hypena opulenta, a species of moth from Ukraine. The caterpillar stage of this moth only feeds on swallow-worts.

As the integrated pest management specialist at DACF, she works within the Plant Health Programs. She grew up in Brunswick, and has spent time working with invasive species and biocontrol in several agroecosystems including berries, tree fruit, and corn.

Speaker series presentations are free and open to the public.

For more information, contact FOMB at 207-666-3372 or edfomb@comcast.net.

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