Monica Kersch-Becker

Assistant Professor of Entomology

501 ASI
University Park, PA
mfk5843@psu.edu
814-863-7788

Bio & Links
Publications

Huck Graduate Students

Danilo Ferreira Borges dos Santos

Huck Affiliations

Ecology

Center for Chemical Ecology

Insect Biodiversity Center

Most Recent Publications

Salicylate plant defences reduce aphid nutritional quality and increase predator consumption

Bijay Subedi, Victoria Marie Pocius, Mary Arlin Bunnell, Abigail Myers, Mônica F. Kersch-Becker, 2025, Ecological Entomology

Warming and shifts in litter quality drive multiple responses in freshwater detritivore communities

Sandra Benavides-Gordillo, Angélica L. González, Mônica F. Kersch-Becker, Marcelo S. Moretti, Dieison A. Moi, Marcos P.M. Aidar, Gustavo Q. Romero, 2024, Scientific Reports

Stomata: gatekeepers of uptake and defense signaling by green leaf volatiles in maize

Feizollah A. Maleki, Irmgard Seidl-Adams, Gary W. Felton, Mônica F. Kersch-Becker, James H. Tumlinson, 2024, Journal of Experimental Botany on p. 6872-6887

Impacts of ramet density and herbivory on floral volatile emissions and seed production in Solidago altissima

Jacob E. Herschberger, Lukasz Ciesla, Christopher R. Stieha, Mônica F. Kersch-Becker, 2024, American Journal of Botany

Leaf Shelters Facilitate the Colonisation of Arthropods and Enhance Microbial Diversity on Plants

Danilo F B dos Santos, Jacob E Herschberger, Bijay Subedi, Victoria M Pocius, Wesley J Neely, Sasha E Greenspan, C. Guilherme Becker, Gustavo Q Romero, Mônica F Kersch-Becker, 2024, Ecology Letters

Evaluating the influence of plant defenses on prey quality as an opportunity to enhance biological control in agroecosystems

Victoria M. Pocius, Mônica F. Kersch-Becker, 2024, Biological Control

Stomatal closure prevents xylem transport of green leaf volatiles and impairs their systemic function in plants

Feizollah A. Maleki, Irmgard Seidl-Adams, Azadeh Fahimi, Michelle L. Peiffer, Monica F. Kersch-Becker, Gary W. Felton, James H. Tumlinson, 2024, Plant, Cell and Environment on p. 122-139

Leaf shelters facilitate the colonization of arthropods and enhance microbial diversity on plants

Danilo dos Santos, Jacob Herschberger, Victoria Pocius, Bijay Subedi, Sasha Greenspan, Wesley Neely, C Becker, Gustavo Romero, Monica Kersch-Becker, 2024, Ecology Letters

Plant size, latitude, and phylogeny explain within-population variability in herbivory

M. L. Robinson, P. G. Hahn, B. D. Inouye, N. Underwood, S. R. Whitehead, K. C. Abbott, E. M. Bruna, N. I. Cacho, L. A. Dyer, L. Abdala-Roberts, W. J. Allen, J. F. Andrade, D. F. Angulo, D. Anjos, D Ansett, D. N. Anstett, R. Bagchi, S. Bagchi, M. Barbosa, S. Barrett, C. A. Baskett, E. Ben-Simchon, K. J. Bloodworth, K Blooworth, J. L. Bronstein, Y. M. Buckley, K. T. Burghardt, C. Bustos-Segura, E. S. Calixto, R. L. Carvalho, B. Castagneyrol, M. C. Chiuffo, D Cinoğlu, D. Cinolu, E. Cinto Mejía, M. C. Cock, R. Cogni, O. L. Cope, T. Cornelissen, D. R. Cortez, D. W. Crowder, C. Dallstream, W. Dáttilo, J. K. Davis, R. D. Dimarco, H. E. Dole, I. N. Egbon, M. Eisenring, A. Ejomah, B. D. Elderd, S. L. Hermann, M Endara, M Eubanks, M. F. Kersch-Becker, J. F. Tooker, S Everingham, K Farah, R Farias, A Fernandes, G Fernandes, M Ferrante, A Finn, G Florjancic, M Forister, Q Fox, E Frago, F França, A Getman-Pickering, Z Getman-Pickering, E Gianoli, B Gooden, M Gossner, K Greig, S Gripenberg, R Groenteman, P Grof-Tisza, N Haack, L Hahn, S Haq, A Helms, J Hennecke, S Hermann, L Holeski, S Holm, M Hutchinson, E Jackson, S Kagiya, A Kalske, M Kalwajtys, R Karban, R Kariyat, T Keasar, 2023, Science on p. 679–683

Climate variability and aridity modulate the role of leaf shelters for arthropods: A global experiment

Gustavo Q. Romero, Thiago Gonçalves-Souza, Tomas Roslin, Robert J Marquis, Nicholas A.C. Marino, Vojtech Novotny, Tatiana Cornelissen, Jerome Orivel, Shen Sui, Gustavo Aires, Reuber Antoniazzi, Wesley Dáttilo, Crasso P B Breviglieri, Annika Busse, Heloise Gibb, Thiago J. Izzo, Tomas Kadlec, Victoria Kemp, Monica Kersch-Becker, Michal Knapp, Pavel Kratina, Rebecca Luke, Stefan Majnarić, Robin Maritz, Paulo Mateus Martins, Esayas Mendesil, Jaroslav Michalko, Anna Mrazova, Samuel Novais, Cássio C. Pereira, Mirela S. Perić, Jana S. Petermann, Sérvio P. Ribeiro, Katerina Sam, M. Kurtis Trzcinski, Camila Vieira, Natalie Westwood, Maria L. Bernaschini, Valentina Carvajal, Ezequiel González, Mariana Jausoro, Stanis Kaensin, Fabiola Ospina, E. Jacob Cristóbal-Pérez, Mauricio Quesada, Pierre Rogy, Diane S Srivastava, Scarlett Szpryngiel, Ayco J.M. Tack, Tiit Teder, Martin Videla, Mari Liis Viljur, Julia Koricheva, 2022, Global Change Biology on p. 3694-3710

Most-Cited Papers

Plant resistance reduces the strength of consumptive and non-consumptive effects of predators on aphids

Mônica F. Kersch-Becker, Jennifer Thaler, 2015, Journal of Animal Ecology on p. 1222-1232

Plant size, latitude, and phylogeny explain within-population variability in herbivory

Plant defences limit herbivore population growth by changing predator-prey interactions

Mônica F. Kersch-Becker, Andre Kessler, Jennifer Thaler, 2017, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences on p. 20171120

Climate variability and aridity modulate the role of leaf shelters for arthropods: A global experiment

Constitutive and herbivore-induced plant defences regulate herbivore population processes

Mônica F. Kersch-Becker, Jennifer S. Thaler, 2019, Journal of Animal Ecology on p. 1079-1088

Arthropod-bacteria interactions influence assembly of aquatic host microbiome and pathogen defense

Sasha Greenspan, Mariana Lyra, Gustavo Migliorini, Mônica F. Kersch-Becker, Molly Bletz, Cybele Lisboa, Mariana Pontes, Luisa Ribeiro, Wesley Neely, Felipe Rezende, Gustavo Romero, Douglas Woodhams, Celio Haddad, Luis Toledo, Carlos Becker, C. Guilherme Becker, 2019, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences on p. 20190924

The role of spider hunting mode on the strength of spider–plant mutualisms

Monica Kersch-Becker, Bruno Grisolia, Maria Campos, Gustavo Romero, 2018, Oecologia on p. 213-222

Cranberry Resistance to Dodder Parasitism: Induced Chemical Defenses and Behavior of a Parasitic Plant

Muvari Tjiurutue, Hilary Sandler, Monica Kersch-Becker, Nina Theis, Lynn Adler, 2016, Journal of Chemical Ecology on p. 95-106

Precipitation and predation risk alter the diversity and behavior of pollinators and reduce plant fitness

Pablo Antiqueira, Paula de Omena, Thiago Gonçalves-Souza, Thiago Goncalvez-Souza, Camila Vieira, Gustavo Migliorini, Monica Kersch-Becker, Tiago N. Bernabé, Tiago Bernabe, Fatima Recalde, Sandra Benavides Gordillo, Sandra Benavides-Gordillo, Gustavo Romero, 2020, Oecologia on p. 745-753

Contribution of emergent aquatic insects to the trophic variation of tropical birds and bats

Fátima C. Recalde, Crasso P.B. Breviglieri, Mônica F. Kersch-Becker, Gustavo Q. Romero, 2021, Food Webs