Ostrinia nubilalis, invaded the United States beginning in the late 1940’s and has been the primary pest of corn since. Diapause (a seasonally induced state of dormancy) keeps these pests developmentally synchronized with their environment. Anthropogenic changes to the environmental is extending the liviable range of these pests, providing them with conditions that will lead to increased growth, development, and reproduction. The focus of my master's research was to understand their capacity to diapause by characterizing the amount of energy they need to enter and remain in diapause.
