CAMDEN — Dr. Hillary Peterson will lead an outdoor presentation on the Biological Control of Two Invasive Species in Maine on Tuesday, July 16, at 12 p.m., at Merryspring Nature Center.

Peterson will talk about her work to deploy two classical biological control agents for invasive species in Maine.

For 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 to release the parasitoid Ganaspis brasiliensis.

For the invasive black swallow-wort, an incredibly 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 the Ukraine. The caterpillar stage of this moth only feeds on swallow-worts.

Dr. Hillary Peterson is the Integrated Pest Management Specialist at the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry within the Plant Health Programs. Peterson grew up in Brunswick and received her B.S. in Biology at the University of Maine, and then her Ph.D. in Entomology at Penn State University. She has spent time working with invasive species and biocontrol in several agroecosystems including berries, tree fruit, and corn. She recently moved back to Brunswick, her home community.

This in-person talk is part of the Summer Talk Series co-sponsored by Bangor Savings Bank and Camden Riverhouse Hotel.

Attendance is free for members; $5 for non-members.

Merryspring is your community nature center offering walking trails, cultivated gardens, wildlife, and ecology and horticulture educational programs all year round. The park is located at the end of Conway Road, just off of Route 1 in Camden behind Hannaford Shopping Plaza. For more information on this program, please contact info@merryspring.org or call 207-236-2239.