For more than a century, natural enemies have been successfully used to control insect pests in California. Since 1923, responsibility for importing and releasing these beneficial insects has fallen to the University of California. But today, many UC researchers in the area of biological control find themselves hard-pressed to continue their long-term research projects and at the same time deal with the frequent threats to the state posed by invading pests. Faced with demands from the laboratory, classroom and the public, a UC Davis entomologist suggests that researchers in the field of biological control must mimic the medical profession in dealing with the work at hand. "We must be both academicians and practitioners," says Lester E. Ehler, professor of entomology and an authority on biological control. Unless adequate support becomes available, much of the day-to-day responsibility for the introduction of beneficial insects will have to be passed on to a state or federal agency outside of the university, or even to the private sector, Ehler suggests. "We can't produce quality research if we are constantly pulled away to fight 'brush fires' that demand immediate attention," he says. Recent invasions of insect pests such as the ash whitefly and the sweetpotato whitefly underscore the importance of maintaining California's ability to respond quickly to emergencies while continuing the long-term research needed to further the science of biological control. Ehler will discuss "Academic Strategies for Classical Biological Control" at 9:05 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10.