George Mbata, Ph.D

George N. Mbata 

Affiliation: Agricultural Research Station, Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA 31030, USA, Email Address: mbatag@fvsu.edu, Ph: 478)825-6550, Cell Phone: 478-318-5061 

Website: https://www.fvsu.edu/faculty/george-mbata/ 

Education 

1982: Ph.D. Entomology University of Ibadan, Nigeria. 

1980: M.Sc. Entomology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. 

1977: B.Sc. Honors, Zoology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. 

Accomplishments 

Authored or coauthored 106 refereed articles more than 30 in the past seven years. Authored 9 articles on whitefly since 2021. 

Host plant resistance: Investigated with colleagues the susceptibilities of cultivars of snap beans, squash, zucchini 

 and tomato to whitefly 

Investigated the interactions among various insect groups, pests, pollinators, predators and parasitoids in vegetable 

 ecosystems 

Examined biological control agents for the whitefly and other crop pests of vegetables 

Investigated the deployment of biopathogens, such as entomopathogens, for the management of whitefly  

and other crop pests. 

Professional Employment 

August 2021 – Present: Research Professor (Entomologist) Agricultural Research Station, Fort Valley State University (FVSU) 

August 2000 – July 2021: Professor & Head of Department of Biology, FVSU 

April 1999-July 2000: Research Fellow, Department of Entomology, Oklahoma State University 

August 1997-March 1999: Visiting professor, Department of Entomology, Kansas State University. 

March, 1997-July 1997: Visiting professor, Department of Entomology, Mississippi State University. 

 September 1983- March 1997: Professor, Reader, Senior Lecturer, Lecturer, Abia State University, Nigeria. 

December 1982-August1983     Senior Research Officer, Nigerian Stored Products   

Select Journal Publications (Refereed articles) 

Mbata G.N., Li, Y., Warsi, S., Simmons, A. S., 2024. Susceptibility of Yellow Squash and Zucchini Cultivars to 

 the sweet potato Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (MEAM1), in the Southeastern United States.  

Insects 2024, 15, 429. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15060429 

Li Y., Mbata G.N., Simmons, A. M., Shapiro-Ilan D.I., Wu S. (2024). Management of Bemisia tabaci on 

 vegetable crops using entomopathogens. Crop Protection.  

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2024.106638  

Wu S., Li Y., Toews M.D., Mbata G.N., Shapiro-Ilan D.I. (2023). Novel formulations improve the 

 environmental tolerance of the entomopathogenic nematodes. Biological Control.  

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2023.105329. 

Ofuya, T. I., Okunlola, A. I., Mbata, G. N. 2023. A review of insect pest management in vegetable crop  

production in Nigeria. Insects 2023, 14, 111. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14020111  

Li, Y., Mbata, GN., Simmons, A. 2023. Population dynamics of insect pests and beneficials on different  

snap bean cultivars. Insects 2023, 14, 230. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14030230 

Mbata, G. N., Li, Y., Shapiro-Ilan, D.I. 2022. Evaluation of chemical and microbial control options for  

Pangaeus bilineatus (Say) (Hemiptera: Cydnidae) infesting peanut crop. Pest Management Science.  

Pest Manag Sci 2022; 78: 4719–4727 

Li, Y., Mbata, GN., Simmons, A., Punnuri, S., 2022.  Susceptibility of snap bean cultivars to the 

 sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, in the southern United States. Crop Protection 159 

 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2022.106022 

Li , Y., Mbata, G. N., Shapiro-Ilan, D.I. 2021. Laboratory virulence of entomopathogenic nematodes to  

sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci. J. Nematology. DOI: 1031307/Jofnem-2021-096 Vol. 53 

Mbata, G. N., Warsi, S., Payton, M. 2021. Influence of temperature and photoperiod on the  

fecundity of Habrobracon hebetor Say (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and on the paralysis  

of host larvae, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Insects 12, 753. 

 https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12080753 

Li, Y., Mbata, GN., Punnuri, S., Simmons, A., Shapiro-Ilan, D.I. 2021. Bemisia tabaci on Vegetables in the  

Southern United States: Incidence, impact, and management. Insects: 12, 198 

Ramakuwela, T., Hatting, J. Bock, C., Vega, F.E., Lenny Wells, L., Mbata, G.N., Shapiro-Ilan, D.I. 2019.  

Establishment of Beauveria bassiana as a fungal endophyte in pecan (Carya illinoinensis) seedlings and its  

virulence against pecan insect pests. Biological Control, 140: (2020) 104102 

Mbata, G.N., Shapiro-Ilan, D.I, Alborn, I., Strand, M.R. 2019. Preferential infectivity of entomopathogenic nematodes  

in an envenomed host. Int. J. Parasitology. Int. J. Parasitology 49, 737-745. 

Mbata, G. and Warsi, S. 2019. Habrobracon hebetor and Pteromalus cerealellae as tools in Post-Harvest Integrated  

Pest Management. Insects 2019, 10, (85) 1-12 (doi:10.3390/insects10040085). 

Bosomtwe, A., Danso, J. K., Osekre, E. A., Opit, G. P., Mbata, G., Armstrong, P., Arthur, F. H., Campbell, J., Manu,  

N., McNeill, S.G. 2019. Effectiveness of the Solar Biomass Hybrid Dryer for Drying and Disinfestation of  

Maize. J. Stored Prod. Res. 83, 66-72 

 Danso, J. Osekre, E., Opit, G. Arthur, F., Campbell, J., Mbata, G., Manu, N. Armstrong, P. and McNeill, S. 2019.  

Impact of storage structures on moisture content, insect pests and mycotoxin levels of maize in Ghana.  

J. Stored Prod. Res. 81, 114-120. 

Manu, N., Opit, G. P., Osekre, E. A., Arthur, F. H., Mbata, G., Armstrong, P., Danso, J. K., McNeill, S.G., Campbell,  

J. 2019. Moisture content, insect pests and mycotoxin levels of maize in markets in the northern region of  

Ghana. J. Stored Prod. Res. 80, 10-20. 

Manu, N., Osekre, E. A., Opit, G. P., Arthur, F. H., Mbata, G., Armstrong, P., Danso, J. K., McNeill, S.G., Campbell,  

J. 2019. Moisture content, insect pests and mycotoxin levels of maize on farms in Tamale environs in  

the Northern Region of Ghana. J. Stored Prod. Res. 83, 153-160. 

Mbata, G., C. Ivey and D. Shapiro-Ilan. 2018. The potential for using entomopathogenic nematodes and fungi in the  

management of the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Biol. Control. 125, 39-43.  

Warsi, S. and Mbata G. 2018. Impact of Peanut Depth and Container Size on the Parasitism of Diapausing and  

Nondiapausing Larvae of Indian meal moth (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) by Habrobracon hebetor  

(Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Environ. Entomol. 47, 1226-1232 

Warsi, S., Mbata, G. and Payton, M. 2018. Improvement of reproductive performance of Habrobracon hebetor:  

Consideration of diapausing and non-diapausing larvae of Plodia interpunctella. Biol. Control 118, 32-36.