Research Scientist, Southampton University, Southampton UK.
Research Scientist, HortResearch, Lincoln, New Zealand.
Principal Scientist, Plant&Food Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
Skills and Expertise:
Chemical Communication, Chemical Ecology, Semiochemicals, pheromones, Ecological Chemistry
Semiochemicals identification and discovery
Application of semiochemicals in pest management
Method Development
DR. ASHRAF M. EL-SAYED
Recent Publications:
El-Sayed AM, B Bunn 2023. 5-Methylheptadecane: sex pheromone of the Broom Twig Miner, Leucoptera Spartifoliella, a biological control agent for the Scotch Broom. Journal of Chemical Ecology. DOI: 10.1007/s10886-023-01446-x.
El-Sayed AM, Manning LAM. 2022. Identification of the sex pheromone of the pink grass worm, Tmetolophota atristriga, reveals possible population differences in male response to sex pheromone. Journal of Chemical Ecology. doi.org/10.1007/s10886-022-01381-3.
El-Sayed AM, Brown B, Bunn B. 2021. N-(3-methylbutyl)butylamide: A new amide in the venom of the social wasps, Vespula vulgaris. Journal of Insect Physiology. doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2021.104311.
El-Sayed AM, Ganji S, Unelius R C, Gemeno C, Ammagarahalli B, Butler R C, Hoffmann C 2021. Feeding volatiles of larval Sparganothis pilleriana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) attract heterospecific adults of the European Grapevine Moth. Environmental Entomology. doi: 10.1093/ee/nvab088.
El-Sayed AM, Ganji S, Gross J, Giesen N, Rid M, Lo PL, Kokeny A, Unelius CR 2021. Climate change risk to pheromone application in pest management. The Science of Nature. doi.org/10.1007/s00114-021-01757-7.
El-Sayed AM, Knight AL, Basoalto E, Suckling DM. 2018. Caterpillar-induced plant volatiles attract conspecific herbivores and generalist predators. Journal of Applied Entomology. In Press.
Suckling DM, Stringer L, Jiménez-Perez A, Walter GH, Sullivan N, El-Sayed AM. 2017. Without or without pheromone habituation: Possible differences between insect orders: Pheromone habituation examined in four insects. Pest Management Science. DOI10.1002/ps.4828.
Suckling DM, El-Sayed AM. 2017. Caterpillar-induced plant volatiles attract adult tortricidae. Journal of Chemical Ecology 43, 487-492.
Knight AL, El-Sayed AM, Judd GJR, Basoalto E. 2017. Development of 2-phenylethanolplus acetic acid lures to monitor obliquebanded leafroller (Lepi-doptera: Tortricidae) under mating disruption. Journal of Applied Entomology, DOI: 10.1111/jen.12393.
Judd GJR, Knight AL, El-Sayed AM. 2017. Trapping Pandemis limitata (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) moths with mixtures of acetic acid, caterpillar-induced apple-leaf volatiles, and sex pheromone. The Canadian Entomologist. In Press.
Judd GJR, Knight AL, El-Sayed AM. 2017. Development of kairomone-based lures and traps targeting Spilonota ocellana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in apple orchards treated with sex pheromones. The Canadian Entomologist. In Press.
Basoalto E, Knight AL, Judd GJR, El-Sayed AM, Suckling DM. 2017. Evaluating the Use of Phenylacetonitrile Plus Acetic Acid to Monitor Pandemis pyrusana and Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in Apple. Florida Entomologist. In Press.
El-Sayed AM, Byers JA, Suckling DM. 2016. Pollinator-prey conflicts in carnivorous plants: When flower and trap properties mean life or death. Scientific reports 6, 21065.
El-Sayed AM, Revell J, Jiménez-Perez A, Harper A, Suckling DM. 2016. Identification of a floral-derived kairomone for currant clearwing, Synanthedon tipuliformis. Chemoecology 26, 187-193.
Suckling DM, El-Sayed AM, Walker JTS. 2016. Regulatory innovation, mating disruption and 4-PlayTM in New Zealand. Journal of chemical ecology 42, 584-589.
Brown RL, Stanbury M, El-Sayed AM, Laban J, Butler R, Suckling DM. 2016. Locomotion activity meter for quality assessment of mass-reared sterile male moths (Lepidoptera). Florida Entomologist 99, 131-137.
Brown RL, El-Sayed AM, Unelius CR, Beggs JR, Suckling DM. 2015. Invasive Vespula wasps utilize kairomones to exploit honeydew produced by sooty scale insects, ultracoelostoma. Journal of chemical ecology 41, 1018-1027.
Suckling DM, Stringer LD, Kean JM, Lo PL, Bell V, Walker JTS, Twidle AM, El-Sayed AM. 2015. Spatial analysis of mass trapping: how close is close enough? Pest management science 71, 1452-1461.
Jürgens A, Witt T, Sciligo A, El‐Sayed AM. 2015. The effect of trap colour and trap‐flower distance on prey and pollinator capture in carnivorous Drosera species. Functional Ecology 29, 1026-1037.
Knight AL, Basoalto E, Katalin J, El-Sayed AM. 2015. A Binary host plant volatile lure combined with acetic acid to monitor codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Environmental entomology 44, 1434-1440.
Unelius CR. Suckling DM, Brown RL. Jósvai KJ, El-Sayed AM. Combining phylogenetically diverse odour sources yields a better lure for yellow jackets. Pest Management Science, 72:760-769.
Jürgens A, Witt T, Sciligo A, El-Sayed AM. 2015. The effect of trap colour and trap‐flower distance on prey and pollinator capture in carnivorous Drosera Functional Ecology, DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12408.
Allen WJ, Mitchell VJ, Colhoun K, Attfield BA, Suckling DM, El-Sayed AM. Development of an efficient trapping system for New Zealand Flower Thrips, Thrips obscuratus. Pest Management Science, 71: 309-315.
Teulon DAJ, Castañé C, Nielsen MC, El-Sayed AM, Davidson MM, Gardner-Gee R, Poulton J, Kean AM, Hall C, Butler RC, Sansom CE, Suckling DM, Perry NB, Zydenbos SM. 2014. Evaluation of new volatile compounds as lures for western flower thrips and onion thrips in New Zealand and Spain. New Zealand Plant Protection Journal, 67: 175-183.
Brown RL, El-Sayed AM, Unelius CR, Revell J, Suckling DM. 2014. Attraction and electrophysiological responses of the invasive social wasp, Vespula vulgaris (L.) to volatiles from fermented brown sugar. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, 151: 182-190.
Suckling DM, Stringer LD, Kean JM, Lo PL, Bell LV, Walker JTS, Twidle AM, Jiménez-Pérez A, El-Sayed AM. 2014. Spatial analysis of mass trapping: How close is close enough? Pest Management Science, DOI: 10.1002/ps.3950.
Unelius R, El-Sayed AM, Twidle AM, Stringer LD, Manning L-AM, Sullivan TES, Brown RL, Noble ADL. 2014. Volatiles from green-lipped mussel as a lead to vespid wasp attractants. Journal of Applied Entomology, 138: 87-95. doi: 10.1111/jen.12103.
El-Sayed AM, Mitchell VJ, Suckling DM. 2014. 6-Pentyl-2H-pyran-2-one: A potent peach-derived kairomone for New Zealand flower thrips, Thrips obscuratus. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 40: 50-55.
Twidle AM, Clare GK, Stanbury, ME, El-Sayed AM. 2014 Sex attractant for Izatha peroneanella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae sensu lato), a lichen tuft moth. New Zealand Entomologist, 37: 93-95. doi:10.1080/00779962.2013.823677.
Suckling DM, Stringer LD, Stephens AEA, Woods B, Williams DG, Baker G, El-Sayed AM. 2014. From IPM to integrated pest eradication: Technologies and future needs. Pest Management Science, 70: 179-189. doi: 10.10.
Brown RL, El-Sayed AM, Suckling DM, Stringer LD, Beggs J. 2013. Vespula vulgaris (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) gynes use a sex pheromone to attract males. Canadian Entomologist, doi:10.4039/tce.2013.8.
El-Sayed AM, Cole L, Revell J, Manning LA, Twidle A, Knight AL, Suckling DM. 2013. Apple volatiles synergize the response of codling moth to pear ester. Journal of chemical ecology, 39: 643-652.
El-Sayed AM, Gibb AR, Mitchell VJ, Manning L-A, Revell J, Thistleton B, Suckling DM. 2013. Identification of the sex pheromone of Conogethes pluto: A Pest of Alpinia. Chemoecology, doi:10.1007/s00049-012-0123-9.
McLaren GF, Suckling DM, El-Sayed AM, Hislop BT, Jones TFS. 2013. Multiple species mating disruption of leafrollers in cherries in Central Otago. New Zealand Plant Protection 66: 132-137.
Jurgens A, Sciligo A, Witt T, El-Sayed AM, Suckling DM. 2012. Pollinator-prey conflict in carnivorous plants. Biological Reviews, 87: 602–615. doi:10.1111/j.1469-185X.2011.00213.x.
Suckling DM, Twidle AM, Gibb AR, Manning LM, Mitchell VJ, Sullivan TES, Wee SL, El-Sayed AM. 2012. Volatiles from apple trees infested with light brown apple moth larvae attract the parasitoid Dolichogenidia tasmanica. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 60: 9562–9566. doi:10.1021/jf302874g.
Suckling DM, Stringer LD, Corn JE, Bunn B, El-Sayed AM, Vander Meer RK. 2012. Aerosol delivery of trail pheromone disrupts the foraging of red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta. Pest Management Science, 68: 1572–1578. doi:10.1002/ps.3349.
Suckling DM, Sullivan TES, Stringer LD, Butler RC, Campbell DM, Twidle AM, Allen WJ, Mafra-Neto A, El-Sayed AM. 2012. Communication disruption of light brown apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana) using a four-component sex pheromone blend. Crop Protection 42: 327–333. doi:10.1016/j.cropro.2012.07.009.
Suckling DM, McLaren GF, Manning LM, Mitchell VJ, Attfield B, Colhoun K, El-Sayed AM. 2012. Development of single-dispenser pheromone suppression of Epiphyas postvittana, Planotortrix octo and Ctenopseustis obliquana in New Zealand stone fruit orchards. Pest Management Science, doi:10.1002/ps.3252.
Suckling DM, Walker JTS, Clare GK, Boyd Wilson KSH, Hall C, El-Sayed AM, Stevens PS. 2012. Development and commercialisation of pheromone products in New Zealand. New Zealand Plant Protection 65: 267–273.
Suckling DM, Stringer LD, Mitchell V, Sullivan TES, Barrington A, El-Sayed AM. 2011. Comparative fitness of irradiated sterile light brown apple moths (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in a wind tunnel, hedgerow and vineyard. Journal of Economic Entomology 104: 1301–1308.
El-Sayed AM, Mitchell VJ, Manning LM, Suckling DM. 2011. New sex pheromone blend for the light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana. Journal of Chemical Ecology 50: 269–275.
Unelius CR, El-Sayed AM, Twidle A, Manning L-A, Flores MF, Zaviezo T, Bergmann J. 2011. Absolute configuration of the Citrophilus Mealybug sex pheromone. Journal of Chemical Ecology 37: 166–172.
Mori K, Tashirob T, Boguang Z, Suckling DM, El-Sayed AM. 2010. Pheromone synthesis Part 243: Synthesis and biological evaluation of (3R,13R,1’S)-1′-ethyl-2′-methylpropyl 3,13-dimethylpentadecanoate, the major component of the sex pheromone of Paulownia bagworm, Clania variegata, and its stereoisomers. Tetrahedron 2542: 2642–2653.
El-Sayed AM, Unelius CR, Twidle A, Mitchell VJ, Manning L-A, Cole L, Suckling DM, Flores MF, Zaviezo T, Bergmann J. 2010. Chrysanthemyl 2-acetoxy-3-methylbutanoate: the sex pheromone of the citrophilous mealybug, Pseudococcus calceolariae. Tetrahedron Letters 51: 1075–1078.
Jürgens A, El-Sayed AM, Suckling DM. 2009. Do carnivorous plants use volatiles for attracting prey insects? Functional Ecology 23: 875–887.
El-Sayed AM, Manning LM, Unelius R, Park KC, Stringer L, White N, Bunn B, Twidle A, Suckling DM. 2009. Attraction and antennal response of the common wasp, Vespula vulgaris (L.) to selected synthetic chemicals in New Zealand beech forests. Pest Management Science 65: 975–981.
El-Sayed AM, Mitchell VJ, Manning LM, Suckling DM. 2009. Attraction of New Zealand flower thrips, Thrips obscuratus (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), to cis-jasmone, a volatile identified from Japanese honeysuckle flowers. Journal of Chemical Ecology 35: 656–663.
El-Sayed AM, Suckling DM, Byers JA, Jang EB, Wearing CH. 2009. Potential of ‘lure and kill’ for long-term pest management and eradication of invasive species. Journal of Economic Entomology 102: 815–835.
Suckling DM, Peck RW, Manning LA, Stringer L, Cappadonna J, El-Sayed AM. 2008. Pheromone disruption of argentine ant trail integrity. Journal of Chemical Ecology 34: 1602–1609.
Wee SL, El-Sayed AM, Gibb AR, Mitchell V, Suckling DM 2008. Behavioural and electrophysiological responses of Fuller’s rose weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to host plants and conspecific odours. Australian Journal of Entomology 47: 24–31.
Gibb AR, Suckling DM, El-Sayed AM, Unelius CR, Bohman B, Dymock JJ, Larsen ML, Willoughby BE. 2007. (Z,E)-11,13-Hexadecadienyl acetate – Sex pheromone of the grass webworm Herpetogramma licarsisalis: Identification, synthesis and field bioassays. Journal of Chemical Ecology 33: 839–847.
Mitchell VJ, Manning LM, Cole L, Suckling DM, El-Sayed AM. 2008. Efficacy of the pear ester as a monitoring tool for codling moth Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in New Zealand apple orchards. Pest Management Science 64: 209–214.
Stephens AEA, Suckling DM, El-Sayed AM. 2008. Odour quality discrimination for behavioural antagonist compounds in three tortricid species. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 127: 176–183.
El-Sayed AM, Byers JA, Manning LM, Jürgens A, Mitchell VJ, Suckling DM. 2008. Floral scent of Canadian thistle, Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop and its potential as a generic insect attractant. Journal of Economic Entomology 101: 720–727.
Lloyd LD, El-Sayed AM, Cole LM, Manning LM, Suckling DM. 2008. Floral attractants for the female soybean looper, Thysanoplusia orichalcea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Pest Management Science 64: 1218–1221.
Suckling DM, Jang EB, Carvalho LA, Nagata JT, Schneider EL, El-Sayed AM. 2007. Can ménage-à-trois be used for controlling insects? Journal of Chemical Ecology 33: 1494–1504.
El-Sayed AM, Unelius CR, Bergmann J. 2010. Chrysanthemyl derivatives as mealybug attractant. Patent No. AU 2010313864; EP 2493842 A1; WO 2011053168 A1.
El-Sayed AM, Suckling DM. 2015. Composition and system for attracting Lepidopterous insects. Patent No. NZ 709050; WO 2016/200279.
El-Sayed AM, Unelius CR, Suckling DM. 2017. Norisoprenoids as attractant for pollinators. Provisional patent filed July 2017.
