In 1999 I joined the Department of Entomology of ARO, the Volcani Center. At present, my field of expertise comprises the manipulation of sexual behavior and mating systems of moth and beetle pests, and environmental manipulations to combat insect pests and invaded weeds. My research strategies combine theory and applied approaches in the search for environmentally friendly solutions to agricultural pest management. My ultimate goal in these studies is to reduce the damage caused by various pests through the exploitation of the pests’ reproductive systems and use the reproductive system of beneficial arthropods to fight insect pests and invasive weeds.

My main contribution to agriculture and environmental sciences can be summarized in two major objectives: (1) Elucidating the effect of volatile communication on reproductive decisions of arthropod pests, in order to use this knowledge to manipulate the pests’ reproductive behavior.  (2) Manipulating the pests’ reproductive behavior (e.g. Mating Disruption (MD), Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) and Attract and kill). (3) Manipulating the crop environment to encourage natural arthropod diversity and improve the efficacy of the pests’ natural enemies. (4) Introducing and assimilating the biological control of invasive weeds, associated with agricultural crops.