About

Michael S. Wolfin is an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Entomology at Pennsylvania State University. His research focuses on understanding the driving forces involved in insect behavior, particularly how insects detect and respond to stimuli in their environment. He aims to utilize this behavioral information to develop effective and novel methods of pest control, with current projects centered on integrated pest management solutions for mushroom flies on mushroom farms. Wolfin's work involves isolating and identifying key stimuli that influence insect behavior and manipulating these stimuli to affect insect responses. His extension program is dedicated to translating and transferring research findings to stakeholders such as mushroom growers, residents affected by mushroom pest invasions, and policymakers. His extension activities include farm visits, authoring publications, hosting industry meetings, operating a Mushroom Fly Hotline, and hosting public presentations. Wolfin's applied research and extension efforts have been featured in press releases and various news outlets worldwide. He holds a Ph.D. in Entomology from Cornell University and has a background in Biology and Chemistry from SUNY Cortland.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Biology
• Ecology
• Agroforestry
• Zoology
• Aeronautics
• Agronomy
• Botany
• Computer graphics (images)
• Engineering
• Horticulture
• Computer vision

Selected publications

• Sublethal Effects of Neonicotinoids: How Physiological and Behavioral Disruptions in Non-Target Insects Threaten Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

  Insects · 2025-12-24 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Neonicotinoid insecticides were initially hailed as safer alternatives to organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides due to their perceived lower toxicity to non-target organisms. However, it has been recently discovered that sublethal exposure to neonicotinoids negatively affects beneficial arthropods that are essential for a functional ecosystem. These beneficial arthropods include pollinators, biological control agents, and decomposers. This review synthesizes current research on the physiological, behavioral, and reproductive consequences of neonicotinoids on non-target arthropods and their broader ecological impact. The chemical and physical properties of neonicotinoids raise concerns about long-term ecological consequences of neonicotinoid use because these chemicals are persistent in plants and soil, which contributes to prolonged exposure risks for organisms. Sublethal doses of neonicotinoids can disrupt the ecological services provided by these organisms by impairing essential biological processes including motor function, odor detection, development, and reproduction in insects, while also altering behavior such as foraging, mating, and nesting. Furthermore, neonicotinoid exposure can alter community structure, disrupting trophic interactions and food web stability. Recognizing the sublethal impacts of neonicotinoids is critical for the development of more sustainable pest management strategies. It is imperative that future research investigates the underlying mechanisms of sublethal toxicity and identifies safer, more effective approaches to neonicotinoid-based pest control to mitigate adverse ecological effects. Incorporating this knowledge into future environmental risk assessments will be essential for protecting biodiversity and maintaining ecosystem functionality.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Pleiotropic functions of an antenna-specific odorant binding protein linking xenobiotic adaptation and olfaction in the Colorado potato beetle, <i>Leptinotarsa decemlineata</i>

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-04-29 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen access

  Abstract The Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata , is the primary defoliator of potatoes and is notorious for its robust capability to develop resistance to various insecticides used to control it. As the initial interface between the environment and the insect olfactory system, odorant binding proteins (OBPs) solubilize and transport hydrophobic odorant molecules from the sensillar lymph to olfactory receptors. Recently, evidence has suggested that OBPs may also sequester excess harmful molecules such as insecticides in the perireceptor space, preventing them from reaching vulnerable olfactory sensory neuronal dendrites. In this study, we identified an antenna-specific OBP ( LdecOBP33 ) that is 2.5-fold higher expressed in a neonicotinoid resistant strain than the susceptible one. Competitive displacement fluorescence binding assays revealed that LdecOBP33 protein binds to a wide range of compounds including various plant volatiles and insecticides. Next, we used RNA interference to knock down LdecOBP33 and combined with toxicological bioassays, behavioral, and electrophysiological assays to investigate functions of LdecOBP33 in insecticide resistance and host location. We found that LdecOBP33 silencing increased male beetles’ susceptibility to imidacloprid, suggesting its role in insecticide resistance. Additionally, LdecOBP33 aids in host location through enhancing the detection of stress-induced potato plant volatiles, increasing the efficacy of CPB adult foraging. Taken together, our study is the first to functionally characterize an OBP in CPB linked to insecticide resistance and host location. Our findings provide insight into a key molecular factor involved in CPB’s response to environmental challenges, suggesting a potential link between insect adaptation to xenobiotics and olfactory processing.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Pleiotropic Function of Antenna-Specific Odorant-Binding Protein Links Xenobiotic Adaptation and Olfaction in Leptinotarsa decemlineata

  Insects · 2025-12-11

  articleOpen access

  The Colorado potato beetle (CPB) is the primary defoliator of potatoes and is notorious for its ability to develop resistance to various insecticides. This remarkable adaptability may partly reflect selective pressures imposed due to the beetle’s coevolution with toxic Solanaceous host plants. As the initial interface between the environment and the insect olfactory system, odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) may sequester excess harmful molecules, such as insecticides and plant allelochemicals, in the perireceptor space, mitigating deleterious effects on vulnerable olfactory sensory neuronal dendrites. In this study, we identified an antenna-specific OBP (LdecOBP33) that is significantly upregulated in a pesticide resistant strain compared to a susceptible one. Competitive displacement fluorescence binding assays demonstrated that the LdecOBP33 protein exhibited broad affinity toward a range of plant volatiles and insecticides. Silencing LdecOBP33 decreased the beetle’s resistance to imidacloprid and impaired its ability to locate host plants. Together, these findings provide insight into a key molecular factor involved in the CPB’s response to environmental challenges, suggesting a potential link between insects’ adaptation to xenobiotics and their olfactory processing.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Visual Responses of Flight-Dispersing Spotted Lanternflies, Lycorma delicatula toward a Tall Vertical Silhouette in a Vineyard

  Journal of Insect Behavior · 2021 · 12 citations

  • Computer Science
  • Biology
  • Ecology
  PublisherDOI

• Flight Duration Capabilities of Dispersing Adult Spotted Lanternflies, Lycorma delicatula

  Journal of Insect Behavior · 2020 · 14 citations

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Computer Science
  • Biology
  • Aeronautics
  PublisherDOI

• Conventional Soil Management May Promote Nutrients That Lure an Insect Pest to a Toxic Crop

  Environmental Entomology · 2020 · 3 citations

  • Biology
  • Agronomy
  • Agroforestry

  Slow and consistent nutrient release by organic fertilizers can improve plant nutrient balance and defenses, leading to herbivore avoidance of organically managed crops in favor of conventional crops with weaker defenses. We propose that this relative attraction to conventional plants, coupled with the use of genetically modified, insecticidal crops (Bt), has created an unintentional attract-and-kill system. We sought to determine whether Bt and non-Bt corn Zea mays L. plants grown in soil collected from five paired organic and conventional fields differed in attractiveness to European corn borer [Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner)] moths, by conducting ovipositional choice and flight tunnel assays. We then examined the mechanisms driving the observed differences in attraction by comparing soil nutrient profiles, soil microbial activity, plant nutrition, and plant volatile profiles. Finally, we assessed whether European corn borer abundance near corn fields differed based on soil management. European corn borer preferred plants grown in conventional soil but did not discriminate between Bt and non-Bt corn. Organic management and more alkaline soil were associated with an increased soil magnesium:potassium ratio, which increased plant magnesium, and were linked to reduced European corn borer oviposition. There was an inconsistent trend for higher European corn borer moth activity near conventional fields. Our results extend the mineral balance hypothesis describing conventional plant preference by showing that it can also improve attraction to plants with genetically inserted toxins. Unintentional attract (to conventional) and (Bt) kill is a plausible scenario for pest declines in response to Bt corn adoption, but this effect may be obscured by variation in other management practices and landscape characteristics.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Habitat cues synergize to elicit chemically mediated landing behavior in a specialist phytophagous insect, the grape berry moth

  Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata · 2020-11-28 · 1 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract Many phytophagous insects locate their host plant using mixtures of volatile compounds produced by the plant. A key behavior in the host location process that has been the focus of decades of behavioral research is optomotor anemotaxis. Another key step in host location is landing on (or near) the odor source. In previous work, rubber septa emitting a synthetic blend of volatiles extracted from young shoots of grape plants, Vitus spp. (Vitaceae), elicited equivalent levels of oriented upwind flight by female grape berry moths (GBM), Paralobesia viteana (Clemens) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), as did actual (control) grape shoots. However, in contrast to the shoots, females did not land on the odor source. In this study, we used flight tunnel assays to investigate the landing response of GBM females with respect to chemical and visual stimuli, as well as differences in relative humidity. When stimuli were presented individually, only the synthetic blend of host plant volatiles elicited equivalent levels of oriented upwind flight compared to the plants. Interestingly, wet cotton strips elicited low but consistent levels of upwind flight. In paired assays, only the synthetic blend paired with wet cotton strips elicited landing, although at significantly lower levels than that elicited by grape shoots. To achieve landing rates equivalent to live grape shoots, grape berry moth females required all three stimuli we tested: host odor cues, moisture, and visual cues simulating a grape shoot. These results suggest the cues have a synergistic effect, and that landing behavior requires complex sensory processing using multiple sensory inputs. Furthermore, these results suggest that moisture plays an important role in the host plant location process.

  PublisherDOI

• Flight Dispersal Capabilities of Female Spotted Lanternflies (Lycorma delicatula) Related to Size and Mating Status

  Journal of Insect Behavior · 2019-05-01 · 44 citations

  article1st author
  PublisherDOI

• Proximate Mechanisms of Host Plant Location by a Specialist Phytophagous Insect, the Grape Berry Moth, Paralobesia Viteana

  Journal of Chemical Ecology · 2019-11-21 · 4 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Plants, microbes, and odorants involved in host plant location by a specialist moth: who's making the message?

  Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata · 2019-04-01 · 7 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract The grape berry moth ( GBM ), Paralobesia viteana (Clemens) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is a specialist pest insect of cultivated grape, Vitis spp. (Vitaceae), in the eastern USA . A blend of volatile compounds has been isolated from plant material that attracts female GBM in the flight tunnel and field. However, the origin of the volatile cue is potentially complicated by the presence of microbes (bacteria and fungi) living on the surface of the plant. Microbial volatile organic compounds can affect insect behavior, and therefore must be considered to fully understand olfaction‐mediated behaviors. We report here the chemical and behavioral analysis of the volatile profiles produced from both the sanitized and control shoot treatments. The sanitization treatment removed 96.4% of the surface microbes up to 24 h, covering the duration of the behavioral assays and volatile collections. Overall, the surface microbes did not significantly contribute to the volatile profile of the grape shoots, as all of the peaks in the volatile profile of sanitized shoots were found in the profile of control shoots. In flight tunnel assays, female GBM displayed the same level of upwind oriented flight to sanitized shoots (flew upwind 57.4%, landed 30.9%) as they did to control shoots (flew upwind 57.8%, landed 31.0%), suggesting further that surface microbes did not contribute to the production of the previously identified blend of behaviorally active volatiles for GBM .

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Charles E. Linn

  Cornell University

  5 shared

• H. Dong

  Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center

  5 shared

• Gregory M. Loeb

  Cornell University

  5 shared

• Ronald R. Chilson

  Cornell University

  4 shared

• Sara Volo

  Hobart and William Smith Colleges

  4 shared

• Thomas C. Baker

  3 shared

• Tobin D. Northfield

  Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission

  3 shared

• Jonathan Thrall

  Hobart and William Smith Colleges

  3 shared

Labs

• Mushroom Fly Research TeamPI