Manhasset Secondary School senior Aidan Wong has been invited to present his research at the 2025 Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting, held Nov. 10 in Portland, Oregon.
The annual conference is one of the nation’s leading gatherings for insect science professionals, bringing together researchers, educators and industry experts from around the world.
Wong represented his research team in the undergraduate competition, presenting a study titled “Improving Beneficial Insect Behavior by Reducing Cannibalism in Green Lacewing Larvae Using Operant Conditioning at Multiple Life Stages in Various Social Settings.” His research explores eco-friendly methods to enhance the effectiveness of green lacewings as pest control agents, providing alternatives to chemical pesticides.
Using a training method that paired citronella with certain behaviors, Wong and collaborator Leijun Chou were able to greatly reduce how often green lacewing larvae ate each other, a school representative said.
Tests using a Y-shaped maze showed that the larvae can actually learn to avoid cannibalism — in some cases by as much as 99% when trained individually at an early stage of development.
A school representative stated that the study presents a “promising approach” to enhancing lacewing survivability and performance, with significant implications for sustainable agriculture.
