Dr. Paul Flinn Research Biologist Biological Research Unit Grain Marketing & Production Research Center 1515 College Ave. Manhattan, KS 66502 Voice: (785) 776-2707 Fax: (785) 537-5584 paul.flinn@ars.usda.gov ars.usda.gov/npa/gmprc/bru/flinn

Research Interests

Dr. Flinn is a Research Biologist with the USDA-ARS at the Grain Marketing and Production Research Center in Manhattan, Kansas, and an adjunct professor in the Dept. of Entomology at Kansas State University. He received his Ph.D. in Entomology from Pennsylvania State University in 1984. His interests center on the development and analysis of IPM systems through computer simulation of crop-pest agroecosystems. His current research involves developing decision support tools for stored grain management, and computer models that predict the population dynamics of stored-grain insect pests and their natural enemies. He is responsible for the development of Stored Grain Advisor (SGA), an expert system for stored grain management.

Current Projects

Modeling the stored-grain system.

We are developing computer models that accurately predict the population dynamics of the major stored-grain and stored-product insect pests under various environmental conditions. Control measures such as fumigation and aeration are also being modeled.

Biological control of stored grain insect pests using parasitoid wasps.

We are investigating the ecology of various parasitoid wasps that attack stored grain beetles. We are also studying the use of biological control in retail stores and mills.

Decision support systems for management of stored-grain.

We are developing decision support systems for both farm-stored and commercial grain storage.

Stored-grain areawide integrated pest management.

Areawide IPM is particularly important for stored wheat because insects are moved through the marketing system along with the grain. We are developing a sampling-based program for managing insect pests in upright-concrete grain elevators. This program uses the decision support software, Stored Grain Advisor Pro.

Project Information

An Agent-Based Model for Simulating Red Flour Beetle Movement and Population Dynamics

Red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) is a common insect pest infesting flour mills. Over the last 80 years, dozens of mathematical models have been developed to simulate its population dynamics. However, while these models predict general population trends, they are not able to simulate individual behavior and movement, and most don’t include a spatial dimension. We built an agent-based model to explicitly represent individual beetles, fragmented landscapes, and the interactions between beetles as well as the interactions between beetles and their environment. Our model can be easily adjusted to different flour landscapes and different scales. The population dynamics, age structure, spatial distribution and movement behaviors are investigated in this agent-based model.
     Poster

Areawide IPM for commercial wheat storage

Insect pest management in grain elevators can be done more effectively and at a lower cost when insects are managed throughout a network of elevators. Areawide IPM is particularly important for stored wheat because insects are moved through the marketing system along with the grain. If insects are not controlled at one location, they can be spread to many other locations, which increases the cost of pest management. A sampling-based program was developed for managing insect pests in upright-concrete grain elevators.
     Web Page      Research Paper      Poster

Augmentative release of parasitoid wasps in stored wheat reduces insect fragments in flour

Field studies were conducted to assess the effectiveness of the parasitoid wasp, Theocolax elegans, for reducing insect fragments in flour by suppressing populations of Rhyzopertha dominica in six bins, each containing 27 tonnes of wheat.
     Research Paper      Poster

Biological Control Of the Indianmeal Moth on Finished Stored Products Using Egg and Larval Parasitoids

The Indianmeal moth (Plodia interpunctella IMM) is a serious pest of raw and finished stored products and attacks both packaged and bulk commodities as well as spillage. Biological control and insect resistant packaging are two alternative pest management strategies for IMM. In our study, a combination of packaging, T. deion, and H. hebetor provided the best overall IMM suppression leaving the fewest live IMM as a source for future infestation.
     Research Paper      Poster

Detection of Stored-Grain Insect Infestation in Wheat Transported in Railroad Hopper-Cars

The specific objectives of this study were to determine (1) if IDK counts are indicative of insect infestation levels; (2) the age structure of the insect population in the infested railcars; and (3) the spatial distribution of insects and IDK in the grain mass.
     Research Paper      Poster

Effects of grain temperature on efficacy of Theocolax elegans to suppress Rhyzopertha dominica in wheat

Suppression of Rhyzopertha dominica growth by the wasp T. elegans was 10 times greater at 25°C than at 32°C (99% and 55% relative to the control). Cooling the grain shortly after harvest with ambient air should greatly increase the effectiveness of these naturally occuring beneficial insects.
     Research Paper      Poster

Effects Of Shelf Architecture And Parasitoid Release Height On Biological Control Of Plodia Interpunctella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Eggs By Trichogramma deion (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

The Indianmeal moth is a serious pest of finished stored products of worldwide distribution. Moths can be especially problematic in warehouses and retail stores, where they attack finished commodities and result in consumer complaints. Biological control using egg parasitoids in the genus Trichogramma is one potential alternative pest management strategy. Stored product managers need to take shelving type into consideration if T. deion is to be used as an inundative biological control for Indianmeal moth.
     Research Paper      Poster

Host and parasitoid rearing

This web page offers advice on equipment and techniques for handling and culturing parasitoid wasps, and their host species.
     Web Page

Insect Populations in Grain Residues from Kansas Elevators

Most U.S. wheat is stored in large commercial elevators. Elevator silos can quickly become infested with stored-grain insects. Sources of infestation may include old grain, trucks and railcars, and spilled grain in outside areas. Nine elevators in Kansas were visited repeatedly for 2 years, frequency depended on amount of grain stored. Grain residues are likely sources for dispersal and infestation.
     Research Paper      Poster

Movement of rusty grain beetle in response to temperature gradients in stored wheat

Beetle population growth rate is primarily affected by grain temperature. In the fall, the periphery of the grain mass cools more rapidly than the center. Beetles often reach high densities in the center of the grain mass, because warmer temperatures there allow the population to increase during the winter. However, temperature gradients in a grain bin are often small. To predict rusty grain beetle population growth in bins, we need to know if they move towards and remain in warmer regions of a grain mass.
     Web Page      Research Paper

Protection of Stored Corn From Insect Pests, Using a Two-Component Biological Control Method Consisting of a Hymenopteran Parasitoid, and Transgenic Avidin Corn Powder

The combination treatment of avidin corn powder plus the release of parasitoid wasps was superior to either treatment alone when tested against mixed populations of the internal feeder, S. zeamais, and the external feeders, T. castaneum and C. ferrugineus. Normally, multiple beetle species that are both external and internal feeders are found in stored grain. While avidin corn powder is fairly effective as an insecticide against the external feeders, it is not very effective against the internal feeders. By using the combination treatment, stored grain managers would be assured of protection from both internal and external feeders.
     Research Paper      Poster

Stored Grain Advisor expert systems

Stored Grain Advisor and Stored Grain Advisor Pro are decision support systems for farm-stored wheat and commercial elevator storage, respectively. These programs provide advice for managing insect pests in stored grain. Both programs predict the likelihood of insect infestation, and recommend appropriate preventative and remedial action.
     Software      Research Paper

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) News

Magazine Articles

Monitoring System Counts Insects, Identifies Species

Areawide Pest Management: An Effective Strategy for Many Pests

Elevating Grain Storage Practices

Computer Figures Stored-Grain Insect Risk

News, Miscellaneous

Wasps Keeping Watch: Some tiny stingers could help guard our groceries

Special "Sting" Operation Could Guard Grocery Goods from Buggy Pests

Harvesting and Storing Wheat--Good News, and Bad

Wee Wasps Vanquish Big Bad Beetles

Computer Model Aids Grain Managers

Selected Publications

To list all publications and request reprints for which no PDF file is available, click here.
PDF	Casada, M.E., M.S. Ram, and P.W. Flinn. 2008. Thermal design of shipping containers for beneficial insects. Appl. Eng. Agric. 24: 63-70.
	Flinn, P.W., G.P. Opit, and J.E. Throne. 2008. Automatic monitoring of insect pests in stored grains and rice. Contribution for Integrated Management of Stored Rice Pests (handbook). pp. 158-167.
PDF	Grieshop, M.J., P.W. Flinn, J.R. Nechols, and J.F. Campbell. 2008. Effects of fine-grain habitat complexity on egg parasitism by three species of Trichogramma. Biol. Control 45: 328-336.
	Hagstrum, D.W., P.W. Flinn, C.R. Reed, and T.W. Phillips. 2008. Stored-grain insect areawide pest management, p. 226-243. In: O. Koul, G. Cuperus, and N. Elliott (eds.), Areawide Pest Management Theory and Implementation. CAB International, Oxfordshire, UK.
PDF	Atui, M.B., P.W. Flinn, S.M.N. Lazzari, and F.A. Lazzari. 2007. Detection of Rhyzopertha dominica larvae in stored wheat using ELISA: The impact of myosin degradation following fumigation. J. Stored Prod. Res. 43: 156-159.
	Flinn, P.W., C. Reed, D.W. Hagstrum, and T. Phillips. 2007. Seasonal and spatial changes in insect density in commercial elevator bins: Implications for phosphine fumigation. International Miller 2006-2007: 36-40.
	Flinn, P.W., D.W. Hagstrum, C.R. Reed, and T. W. Phillips. 2007. Area-Wide IPM for commercial wheat storage, p. 239-246. In: M.J.B. Vreysen, A.S. Robinson, and J. Hendrichs (eds.), Proceedings of the International Atomic Energy Agency Conference on Area-Wide Control of Insect Pests. U.S. Government, Washington, D.C.
PDF	Flinn, P.W., D.W. Hagstrum, C.R. Reed, and T.W. Phillips. 2007. Stored Grain Advisor Pro: Decision support system for insect management in commercial grain elevators. J. Stored Prod. Res. 43: 375-383.
PDF	Grieshop, M.J., P.W. Flinn, J.R. Nechols, and M. Scholler. 2007. Host-foraging success of three species of Trichogramma (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) in a simulated retail environment. J. Econ. Entomol. 100: 591-598.
PDF	Arthur, F.H., D.W. Hagstrum, P.W. Flinn, C.R. Reed, and T.W. Phillips. 2006. Insect populations in grain residues associated with commercial Kansas grain elevators. J. Stored Prod. Res. 42: 226-239.
	Flinn, P.W., G.P. Opit, and J.E. Throne. 2006. Integrating the Stored Grain Advisor Pro expert system with an automated electronic grain probe trapping system. Proceedings of the 9th International Working Conference on Stored Product Protection. Brazilian Post-harvest Association-ABRAPOS, P. 408-413.
PDF	Flinn, P.W., K.J. Kramer, J.E. Throne, and T.D. Morgan. 2006. Protection of stored maize from insect pests using a two-component biological control method consisting of a hymenopteran parasitoid, Theocolax elegans, and transgenic avidin maize powder. J. Stored Prod. Res. 42: 218-225.
PDF	Grieshop, M.J., P.W. Flinn, and J.R. Nechols. 2006. Biological control of Indianmeal moth (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on finished stored products using egg and larval parasitoids. J. Econ. Entomol. 99: 1080-1084.
PDF	Grieshop, M.J., P.W. Flinn, J.R. Nechols, and J.F. Campbell. 2006. Effects of shelf architecture and parasitoid release height on biological control of Plodia interpunctella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) eggs by Trichogramma deion (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). J. Econ. Entomol. 99: 2202-2209.
	Throne, J.E., G.P. Opit, and P.W. Flinn. 2006. Seasonal distribution of psocids in stored wheat. Proceedings of the 9th International Working Conference on Stored Product Protection. Brazilian Post-harvest Association - ABRAPOS, p. 1095-1103.
	Flinn, P.W. 2005. Recent technological advances for managing insect pests of stored-grain. In: Proceedings of the V Brazilian Congress of Agroinformatics, Londrina, Brazil, September 28-30, 2005. CDROM 2005.
PDF	Mahroof, R., B. Subramanyam, and P. Flinn. 2005. Reproductive performance of Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) exposed to the minimum heat treatment temperature as pupae and adults. J. Econ. Entomol. 98: 626-633.
	Scholler, M.E., P.W. Flinn, M.J. Grieshop, and E. Zdarkova. 2005. Biological control of stored-product pests, pp. 67-87. In: J.W. Heaps (ed.), Insect Management for Food Storage and Processing, 2nd Ed. AACC International, St. Paul, MN.
PDF	Flinn, P.W., B. Subramanyam, and F.H. Arthur. 2004. Comparison of aeration and spinosad for suppressing insects in stored wheat. J. Econ. Entomol. 97: 1465-1473.
PDF	Flinn, P.W., D.W. Hagstrum, C. Reed, and T.W. Phillips. 2004. Simulation model of Rhyzopertha dominica population dynamics in concrete grain bins. J. Stored Prod. Res. 40: 39-45.
PDF	Hou, X., P. Fields, P. Flinn, J. Perez-Mendoza, and J. Baker. 2004. Control of stored-product beetles with combinations of protein-rich pea flour and parasitoids. Environ. Entomol. 33: 671-680.
PDF	Perez-Mendoza, J., P.W. Flinn, J.F. Campbell, D.W. Hagstrum, and J.E. Throne. 2004. Detection of stored-grain insect infestation in wheat transported in railroad hopper-cars. J. Econ. Entomol. 97: 1474-1483.
	Flinn, P., D. Hagstrum, C. Reed, and T. Phillips. 2003. Areawide integrated pest management program for commercial grain stores. In: P.F. Credland, D.M. Armitage, C.H. Bell, P.M. Cogan, and E. Highley (Eds.), Advances in Stored Product Protection, Proceedings of the 8th International Working Conference on Stored Product Protection, July 22-26, 2002, York, UK. pp. 99-102.
PDF	Flinn, P.W., D.W. Hagstrum, C. Reed, and T.W. Phillips. 2003. United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service stored-grain areawide integrated pest management program. Pest Man. Sci. 59: 614-618.
PDF	Reed, C., D.W. Hagstrum, P.W. Flinn, and R.F. Allen. 2003. Wheat in bins and discharge spouts, and grain residues on floors of empty bins in concrete grain elevators as habitats for stored-grain beetles and their natural enemies. J. Econ. Entomol. 96: 996-1004.
	De Paula, M.C.Z., P.W. Flinn, B. Subramanyam, and S.M.N. Lazzari. 2002. Effects of age and sex on mortality of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) exposed to INSECTO-treated wheat. J. Kans. Entomol. Soc. 75: 158-162.
PDF	Menon, A., P.W. Flinn, and B.A. Dover. 2002. Influence of temperature on the functional response of Anisopteromalus calandrae (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), a parasitoid of Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae). J. Stored Prod. Res. 38: 463-469.
PDF	Flinn, P.W., and D.W. Hagstrum. 2001. Temperature-mediated functional response of Theocolax elegans (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) parasitizing Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) in stored wheat. J. Stored Prod. Res. 38: 185-190.
PDF	Flinn, P.W., and D.W. Hagstrum. 2001. Augmentative releases of parasitoid wasps in stored wheat reduces insect fragments in flour. J. Stored Prod. Res. 37: 179-186.
	Flinn, P.W., T. Phillips, D.W. Hagstrum, F.H. Arthur, and J.E. Throne. 2001. Modeling the effects of insect stage and grain temperature on phosphine-induced mortality for Rhyzopertha dominica, pp. 531-539. In: E.J. Donahaye, S. Navarro, and J.G. Leesch (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Controlled Atmosphere and Fumigation in Stored Products, Fresno, CA, Oct. 29-Nov. 3, 2000. Executive Printing Services, Clovis, CA.
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