Karen Sime

Research

• Behavior, ecology, and evolution of parasitic wasps
• Insect-plant interactions
• Biological control
• Chemical ecology
• Butterfly biology

Specialty area:

• Entomology

Publications

* indicates undergraduate research student

• Mohamed, K.I. & Sime, K.R. 2023. Travels in Tanzania with North American undergraduates: a botanical wildlife safari. Plant Science Bulletin 69:114-126.
• Sime, K.R. 2023. Species spotlight: saving the bog buckmoth. The Revelator (Center for Biological Diversity). https://therevelator.org/species-spotlight-bog-buck-moth/
• Schummer, M., Eason, K.M., Hodges, T., Farley, E.B., Sime, K.R., Coluccy, J., Tozer, D. 2021. Response of aquatic macroinvertebrate density and diversity to wetland management and structure in the Montezuma Wetlands complex, New York. Journal of Great Lakes Research 47: 875-883. 
• Sime, K.R. 2019. Biological Review of the Bog Buckmoth (Saturniidae: Hemileuca maia): Report to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
• Buckner, J.*, Welsh, A.B., Sime, K.R. 2014.  Evidence for population differentiation in the bog buckmoth of New York State. Northeastern Naturalist 21:506-514.
• Sime, K.R., Daane, K.M. 2014. Rapid, non-discriminatory oviposition behaviors are favored in mealybug parasitoids when Argentine ants are present. Environmental Entomology 43: 995-1002.
• Daane, K.M., Sime, K. R., Paine, T.D. 2012. Climate and the effectiveness of Psyllaephagus bliteus as a parastoid of the red gum lerp psyllid. Biocontrol Science and Technology 22: 1305- 1320.
• Daane, K.M., Johnson, M. W., Pickett, C. H., Sime, K. R., Wang, X-G., Nadel, H., Andrews, J. W., and Hoelmer, K. A. 2011. Biological controls investigated to aid management of olive fruit fly in California. California Agriculture 65(1):21-28.
• Wang, X.G., Nadel, H., Johnson, M.W., Daane, K.M., Hoelmer, K., Walton, V., Pickett, C.H., and Sime, K.R. 2009. Crop domestication relaxes both top-down and bottom-up effects on a specialist herbivore. Basic and Applied Ecology 10:216-227.
• Sime, K.R., Daane, K.M., Wang, X.G., Johnson, M.W. and Messing, R.H. 2008. Evaluation of Fopius arisanus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) as a biological control agent for the olive fruit fly in California. Agricultural and Forest Entomology 10:423-413.
• Daane, K.M., Sime, K.R., Wang, X.G., Nadel, H., Johnson, M.W., Walton, V.M., Kirk, A., Pickett, C.H. 2008. Psyttalia lounsburyi (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), promising biological control agent for the olive fruit fly in California. Biological Control 44:79-89.
• Johnson, M.W., Daane, K. M., Sime, K.R., Nadel, H., Pickett, C.H., and Wang, X.G. 2008. Classical biological control introductions to manage olive fruit fly. Biocontrol News and Information 29(1):3-4.
• Daane, K.M, Cooper, M.L., Sime, K.R., Nelson, E.H., Battany, M.C. and Rust, M.K. 2008. Testing baits to control Argentine ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in vineyards. Journal of Economic Entomology 101:699-709.
• Daane, K.M, K.R. Sime, J. Fallon and M.L. Cooper (2007) Impacts of Argentine ants on mealybugs and their natural enemies in California's coastal vineyards. Ecological Entomology 32:583-596.
• Orsini, M.M., K.M. Daane, K.R. Sime, and E.H. Nelson (2007) Mortality of olive fruit fly pupae in a California orchard. Biocontrol Science and Technology 17:797-807.
• Sime, K.R., K.M. Daane, A. Kirk, J. Andrews, M.W. Johnson and R.H. Messing (2007) Psyttalia ponerophaga as a potential biological control agent for the olive fruit fly in California. Bulletin of Entomological Research 97:233-242.
• Daane, K.M, K.R. Sime, J. Fallon and M.L. Cooper (2007) Variable impacts of Argentine ants on mealybugs and their natural enemies in California’s coastal vineyards. Ecological Entomology 32, 583-596. 
• Sime, K.R., Daane, K.M., Nadel, H., Funk, C., Messing, R.H., Andrews, J.W., Pickett, C., and Johnson, M.W. (2006) Diachasmimorpha longicaudata and D. kraussii (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) as parasitoids of the olive fruit fly. Biocontrol Science and Technology 16:169-179.
• Sullivan, D.J, Daane, K.M., Sime, K.R., and Andrews, J.W. (2006) Protective mechanisms for pupae of Psyllaephagus bliteus Riek (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), a parasitoid of the red gum psyllid Glycaspis brimblecombei (Hemiptera: Spondyliaspididae). Australian Journal of Entomology 45:101-105.
• Sime, K.R., Daane, K.M., Messing, R.H., and Johnson, M.W. (2006) Comparison of two laboratory cultures of Psyttalia concolor (Hym: Braconidae), a parasitoid of the olive fruit fly. Biological Control 39:248-255.
• Wahl, D.B. and Sime, K.R. (2006) A revision of the genus Trogus (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae). Systematic Entomology 31:584-610.
• Sime, K.R., Daane, K.M., Andrews, J.W., Hoelmer, K., Pickett, C.H., Nadel, H., Johnson, M.W., and Messing, R.H. (2006) Biological studies of Bracon celer Szépligeti, as a parasitoid of the olive fruit fly. BioControl 51:553-567.
• Daane, K.M, Sime, K.R., Dahlsten, D.L., Andrews, J.W., and Zuparko, R.L. (2005) The biology of Psyllaephagus bliteus Riek (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), a parasitoid of the red gum lerp psyllid (Hemiptera: Spondyliaspididae). Biological Control 32: 228-235.
• Sime, K.R. (2005) The natural history of Trogus pennator (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae): host-finding behavior and a possible host countermeasure. Journal of Natural History 39: 1367-1380. 

Education

• Ph.D., Entomology, Cornell University
• B.S., Chemistry, University of California at Berkeley