Current Research

● Southern Pine Beetle (SPB)

● Manipulation with Pheromones and Other Odors

● Understanding Variability in SPB (and Bark Beetle) Responses to Pheromones and Other Odors

● Chemical Ecology and Systematics of Bark Beetles of North and Central America

● Bark Beetle Pest Species New to Science

● Other Threats of Forest Trees of the Southern US

○ Baldcypress Leafroller

○ Sirex Noctilio

See more research details at my RWU page

Education

• University of Georgia, Ph.D. Entomology 1997
• St. John’s College, B.A. Liberal Arts 1990

Professional Experience

Featured Publications & Products

• Shepherd, William; Sullivan, Brian; Hoosier, Bradley; Barrett, JoAnne; Bauman, Tessa. 2010. Characterization of an Aggregation Pheromone in Hylesinus pruinosus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae).
• Sullivan, Brian; Mori, Kenji. 2009. Spatial displacement of release point can enhance activity of an attractant pheromone synergist of a bark beetle..
• Hanula, James L.; Sullivan, Brian. 2008. Manuka oil and phoebe oil are attractive baits for xyleborus glabratus (coleoptera: scolytinae), the vector of Laurel Wilt.
• Pureswaran, Deepa S.; Sullivan, Brian T.; Ayres, Matthew P. 2008. High individual variation in pheromone production by tree-killing bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae).
• Moreno, Benjamin; Macias, Jorge; Sullivan, Brian T.; Clarke, Stephen R. 2008. Field response of Dendroctonus frontalis (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) to Synthetic Semiochemicals in Chiapas, Mexico..

Publications

• Niño-Domínguez, Alicia ; Sullivan, Brian ; Lopez-Urbina, Jose ; Macías-Sámano, Jorge E. 2018. Discrimination of odors associated with conspecific and heterospecific frass by sibling species Dendroctonus frontalis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) and Dendroctonus mesoamericanus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae).
• Armendáriz-Toledano, Francisco ; García-Román, Jazmín ; López, María Fernanda; Sullivan, Brian T.; Zúñiga, Gerardo . 2017. New characters and redescription of dendroctonus vitei (coleoptera: curculionidae: scolytinae).
• Bracewell, Ryan R.; Bentz, Barbara J.; Sullivan, Brian T.; Good, Jeffrey M. 2017. Rapid neo-sex chromosome evolution and incipient speciation in a major forest pest.
• Shepherd, William P; Sullivan, Brian T. 2017. Spatial displacement of a lure component can reduce catches of two nontarget species during spring monitoring of southern pine beetle.
• Sullivan, Brian T.; Brownie, Cavell; Barrett, JoAnne P. 2016. Intra-annual variation in responses by flying southern pine beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) to pheromone component endo-brevicomin.
• Shepherd, William P.; Sullivan, Brian T.; Mayfield, Albert (Bud); McDonald, Richard C. 2016. Olfactory responses of the hemlock woolly adelgid predator, Laricobius nigrinus (Coleoptera: Derodontidae), to natural and synthetic conifer volatiles.
• Nino-Dominguez, Alicia; Sullivan, Brian T.; Lopez-Urbina, Jose H.; Macias-Samano, Jorge E. 2016. Responses by Dendroctonus frontalis and Dendroctonus mesoamericanus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to Ssemiochemical lures in Chiapas, Mexico: possible roles of pheromones during joint host attacks.
• Pureswaran, Deepa S.; Hofstetter, Richard W.; Sullivan, Brian; Potter, Kristen A. 2016. The role of multimodal signals in species recognition between tree-killing bark beetles in a narrow sympatric zone..
• Pureswaran, Deepa S.; Hofstetter, Richard W.; Sullivan, Brian T.; Grady, Amanda M.; Brownie, Cavell. 2016. Western pine beetle populations in Arizona and California differ in the composition of their aggregation pheromones.
• Armendariz-Toledano, Francisco; Nino, Alicia; Sullivan, Brian T.; Kirkendall, Lawrence R.; Zunig, Gerado. 2015. A new species of bark beetle, Dendroctonus mesoamericanus sp nov. (Curculionidae: Scolytinae), in southern Mexico and Central America.
• Staeben, Jenny C.; Sullivan, Brian; Nowak, John T.; Gandhi, Kamal J.K. 2015. Enantiospecific responses of southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis) and its clerid predator, Thanasimus dubius, to a-pinene..
• Nino-Dominguez, Alicia; Sullivan, Brian T.; Lopez-Urbina, Jose H.; Macias-Samano, Jorge E. 2015. Pheromone-mediated mate location and discrimination by two syntopic sibling species of Dendroctonus bark beetles in Chiapas, Mexico.
• Sullivan, Brian T.; Allison, Jeremy D.; Goyer, Richard A.; Shepherd, William P. 2015. Sex pheromone of the baldcypress leafroller (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae).
• Sullivan, Brian; Erbilgin, Nadir. 2014. Evidence for divergence in cuticular hydrocarbon sex pheromone between California and Mississippi (United States of America) populations of bark beetle parasitoid Roptrocerus xylophagorum (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)..
• Shepherd, William; Montgomery, Michael; Sullivan, Brian; Mayfield, Albert (Bud), III. 2014. Novel method for determining sex of live adult Laricobius nigrinus (Coleoptera: Derodontidae)..
• Armendariz-Toledano, Francisco; Nino, Alicia; Sullivan, Brian; Macias-Samano, Jorge; Victor, Javier; Clarke, Stephen R.; Zuniga, Gerardo. 2014. Two species within Dedroctonus frontalis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): evidence from morphological, karyological, molecular, and crossing studies..
• Martinson, Sharon J.; Ylioja, Tiina; Sullivan, Brian T.; Billings, Ronald F.; Ayres, Matthew P. 2013. Alternate attractors in the population dynamics of a tree-killing bark beetle.
• Cano-Ramirez, Claudia; Lopez, Maria Fernanda; Cesar-Ayala, Ana K.; Pineda-Martinez, Veronica; Sullivan, Brian T.; and Zuniga, Gerardo. 2013. Isolation and expression of cytochrome P450 genes in the antennae and gut of pine beetle Dendroctonus rhizophagus (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) following exposure to host monoterpenes.
• Shepherd, William; Sullivan, Brian. 2013. Southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis, antennal and behavioral responses to nonhost leaf and bark volatiles.
• Hanula, James; Sullivan, Brian; Wakarchuk, David. 2013. Variation in manuka oil lure efficacy for capturing Xyleborus glabratus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scholytinae), and Cubeb oil as an alternative attractant.
• Sullivan, Brian T.; Nino, Alicia; Moreno, Benjamin; Brownie, Cavell; Macias-Samano, Jorge; Clarke, Stephen R.; Kirkendall, Lawrence R.; and Zuniga, Gerardo. 2012. Biochemical evidence that Dendroctonus frontalis consists of two sibling species in Belize and Chiapas, Mexico.
• Sullivan, Brian T. 2011. Southern Pine Beetle Behavior and Semiochemistry.
• Sullivan, Brian; Dulusky, Mark; Mori, Kenji; Brownie, Cavell. 2011. Variable responses by southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann, to the pheromone component endo-Brevicomin: influence of enantiomeric composition, release rate, and proximity to infestations.
• Pureswaran, Deepa S.; Hofstetter, Richard W.; Sullivan, Brian T. 2008. Attraction of the southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis, to pheromone components of the western pine beetle, Dendroctonus brevicomis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), in an allopatric zone.
• Moreno, Benjamin; Macias, Jorge; Sullivan, Brian ; Clarke, Stephen. 2008. Field Response of Dendroctonus frontalis (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) to Synthetic Semiochemicals in Chiapas, Mexico..
• Sullivan, Brian T.; Shepherd, William P.; Pureswarana, Deepa S.; Tashiro, Takuya; Mori, Kenji. 2007. Evidence that (+)-endo-Brevicomin is a male-produced component of the Southern Pine Beetle aggregation pheromone.
• Pureswaran, Deepa S.; Sullivan, Brian T.; Ayres, Matthew P. 2007. Evolutionary ecology of pheromone signaling in Dendroctonus frontalis.
• Sullivan, Brian T.; Dalusky, Mark J.; Wakarchuk, David; Berisford, C. Wayne. 2007. Field evaluations of potential aggregation inhibitors for the southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).
• Sullivan, Brian T. 2005. Electrophysiological and behavioral responses of Dendroctonus frontalis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to volatiles isolated from Conspecifics.
• Shepherd, William P.; Sullivan, Brian T.; Goyer, Richard A.; Klepzig, Kier D. 2005. Electrophysiological and olfactometer responses of two histerid predators to three pine bark beetle pheromones.
• Sullivan, Brian K.; Hamilton, Paul S.; Kwiatkowski, Matthew A. 2005. The Arizona striped whiptail: past and present.
• Sullivan, Brian T.; Berisford, C. Wayne. 2004. Semiochemicals From Fungal Associates of Bark Beetles May Mediate Host Location Behavior of Parasitoids.
• Asaro, Christopher; Sullivan, Brian T.; Dalusky, M.J.; Berisford, C. Wayne. 2004. Volatiles associated with preferred and nonpreferred hosts of the nantucket pine tip moth, Rhyacionia frustrana.
• Sullivan, Brian T.; Fettig, Christopher J.; Otrosina, William J.; Dalusky, Mark J.; Berisford, C. Wayne. 2003. Association between severity of prescribed burns and subsequent activity of conifer-infesting beetles in stands of longleaf pine.
• Sullivan, Brian T.; Dalusky, Mark J.; Berisford, C. Wayne. 2003. Interspecific Variation in Host-Finding Cues of Parasitoids of the Southern Pine Beetle (Coleoptera: Scolytidae).
• Sullivan, Brian T. 2002. Evidence For A Sex Pheromone in Bark Beetle Parasitoid Roptrocerus xylophagorum.
• Otrosina, William J.; Walkinshaw, Charles H.; Zarnoch, Stanley J.; Sung, Shi-Jean S.; Sullivan, Brian T. 2002. Root Disease, Longleaf Pine Mortality, and Prescribed Burning.
• Otrosina, William J.; Sung, Shi-Jean S.; Zarnoch, Stanley J.; Sullivan, Brian T.; Walkinshaw, Charles H. 2002. Root disease and other unforeseen variables that confound restoration efforts.
• Sullivan, Brian T.; Pettersson, Eva M.; Seltmann, Katja C.; Berisford, C. Wayne. 2000. Attraction of the bark beetle parasitoid Roptrocerus xylophagorum (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) to host-associated olfactory cues.

Research Highlights

Highlight	Title	Year
SRS-2015-240	Forest Service Scientists and Their International Collaborators Describe a Dangerous New “Mesoamerican Pine Beetle” A newly discovered species of tree killing bark beetle in Central America, Dendroctonus mesoamericanus, has been recently described by an intern ...	2015
SRS-2014-151	Lure Developed for Killer of Louisiana Baldcypress The land surface of southern Louisiana is sinking as an unintended consequence of humans channeling water flow. Persistent and deeper flooding o ...	2014