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Biocontrol: Program Staff

Baldo Villegas

Baldo Villegas

Baldo Villegas

E-mail: bvillegas@cdfa.ca.gov

Senior Environmental Research Scientist (Entomologist)

B.S., Entomology, 1971: University of California, Davis.

M.S., Entomology, 1974: University of California, Davis.

Research interests

Baldo's areas of research interest include biological control of insect and weed pests, integrated pest management, and insect biosystematics.

In his current position with the Biological Control Program, he is responsible for coordinating weed biological control agent redistribution programs in California. This is largely done by sponsoring training workshops at field nursery sites where the various weeds are a problem and giving follow-up training to those attending his workshops.

Baldo has been involved with the biological control agents against the following weeds: Yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis); Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria); Bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare); Diffuse, Spotted and Squarrose knapweeds (Centaurea diffusa, C. maculosa, and C. squarrosa); Purple starthistle (Centaurea calcitrapa); Puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris); Klamath Weed (Hypericum perforatum); Russian thistle (Salsola spp.); Musk thistle (Carduus nutans); Med Sedge (Salvia aethiopis); Tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaeae); Gorse (Ulex europaeus) ; Italian thistle (Carduus tenuiflorus/pycnocephalus); Skeletonweed (Chondrilla juncea); Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius); etc.

Baldo also maintains a database with all the releases that have been made on weeds in California by the Biological Control Program and cooperating agencies.