Agenor Mafra-Neto

Mafra-Neto came to the U.S. from Brazil in 1988 and received his PhD at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, under the guidance of Ring T. Carde. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Thomas C. Baker at Iowa State University at Ames, and has worked at the Universidade de Alfenas, Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirao Preto, Western Carolina University, and University of California, Riverside.

Mafra-Neto is known for his work in the chemical orientation of insects, both basic and applied research. Dr. Mafra-Neto's expertise is in determining an insect's responsiveness to pheromone-containing lures (pheromone trap) and in disrupting their orientation to a pheromone source (mating disruption). Dr. Mafra-Neto has worked on the modification of insect behavior using semiochemicals both in the lab and in the field.

Research work

On a basic scientific level, his research has included the 1) the behavior of insects in the presence of complete and incomplete blends of pheromone at different doses, 2) the effect of combining pheromones with insecticides, and 3) different forms of pheromone presentation and their effect on flying males.

Career in chemical ecology/entomology

In terms of applied science Mafra-Neto has developed and co-developed several semiochemical tools, devices and strategies for pest management. One such strategy is an inexpensive attract-and-kill system developed for small cotton growers in Brazil. Two examples of more technologically advanced strategies to release semiochemicals are the Metered Semiochemical Timed-Release System (MSTRS) and Specialized Pheromone & Lure Application Technology (SPLAT). The development of the MSTRS or Puffers, resulted in a novel, automated device that holds large quantities of pheromone under pressure, and actively releases exact doses of active ingredients at set intervals throughout a programmed period, proven to control pests in very diverse environments including storage facilities, grasslands and corn fields (Baker et al. 1997 J. Agric.[7]), and cranberry bogs SPLAT is a proprietary base matrix formulation of biologically inert materials used to control the release of semiochemicals and/or odors with or without pesticides. Extensive research on SPLAT using a variety of lures demonstrates that this matrix emits semiochemicals at effective pest suppression levels for a time interval ranging from 2–30 weeks, controlling larvae and adult insect pests.