Aristizábal, Luis

Armstrong, Jack

Follett, Peter

Hollingsworth, Joseph

Johnson, Melissa

Manoukis, Nicholas

Pallipparambil, Godshen

Suiter, Karl

Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society

English

ScholarSpace at University of Hawai'i at Manoa

	 	 iIn MemoriamRobert Grove Hollingsworth (1957–2019)	 Robert	 (Robbie)	Grove	Hollingsworth	died	unexpectedly	on	February	 2,	 2019,	 at	the	age	of	61.	Robbie	was	born	on	October	26,	1957,	in	La	Vale,	Maryland,	the	young-est	of	four	sons	born	to	Dody	 (Josephine)	and	 Tom	 (Thomas)	Hollingsworth.	When	Robbie	was	two	years	old,	his	family	moved	to	 Valsese,	 Nor th	Carolina,	where	his	 father	was	an	engi-neer	in	the	textile	industry.	When	Robbie	was	12	years	old	he	moved	to	High	Point,	NC,	and	then	at	14	moved	again,	this	time	to	Linville,	NC,	where	he	attended	nearby	Avery	High	School.	He	graduated	 from	Davidson	College	 in	1980	but	 spent	his	junior	year	at	Appalachian	State	Univer-sity,	where	he	met	his	future	wife	Diana.		 Robbie	 was	 a	 gifted	 scientist	 who	contributed	greatly	 to	our	knowledge	of	insects,	mollusks,	 and	 their	 interactions	and	 impact	 on	 agriculture	 and	 natural	resources,	particularly	in	the	Pacific	Ba-sin.	He	began	his	professional	journey	at	North	Carolina	State	University,	where	he	completed	a	Master	of	Science	degree	in	Agricultural	 Pest	Management	 in	 1982.	In	 1983	 he	 joined	 the	Western	 Samoa	Department	 of	Agriculture	 as	 a	 Peace	Corps	Entomologist.	Robbie	returned	to	NC	State	in	1987	to	complete	a	PhD	in	en-tomology.	His	dissertation	focused	on	the	effects	of	balsam	woolly	adelgid	on	tree	health	in	Fraser	fir	and	silver	fir	forests	and	nurseries.	Following	his	PhD,	Robbie	re-ceived	a	prestigious	Fulbright	Fellowship	and	 joined	 the	Low-lands	 Agricultural	Experiment	 Station	in	Papua	New	Guinea	as	 an	 entomologist.	From	1992	 to	 1998,	Robbie’s	postdoctoral	journey	 took	him	 to	the	University	of	Ha-waii	 at	Manoa,	 the	University	of	Arkan-sas,	and	eventually	to	the	Solomon	Islands,	where	 he	 served	 as	a	United	Nations	 re-search	 scientist	 coordinating	 research	activities	of	the	Regional	Fruit	Fly	Proj-ect.	 In	 1998,	Robbie	 began	 a	 long-term	career	as	a	Research	Biologist	at	the	U.S.	Department	of	Agriculture’s	Agricultural	Research	Service	in	Hilo,	Hawaii.	 At	ARS-Hilo,	Robbie	 for	many	years	studied	 pests	 of	 floriculture	 crops	 and	developed	export	protocols	and	quarantine	treatments.	He	worked	on	thrips,	burrow-ing	 caterpillars,	 ants,	 scale	 insects,	 and	mealybugs.	He	was	 very	 interested	 in	non-chemical	approaches	including	plant	natural	 products	 such	 as	 limonene	 and	caffeine	to	control	pests.	While	carrying	out	bioassays	to	improve	control	of	mealy-bugs	and	scale	insects	using	combinations	of	soaps,	oils,	and	other	environmentally	friendly	 ingredients,	Robbie	 discovered	that	 limonene,	 a	 citrus	 extract,	 easily	removed	 the	 protective	wax	 coating	 of	insects,	and	he	developed	emulsifier	and	surfactant	 combinations	 to	 create	 plant-safe	and	effective	solutions.	He	developed	efficient	scouting	methods	for	hard-to-see	thrips	in	flower	blossoms	to	facilitate	de-cisions	on	pesticide	use	and	to	determine	Proceedings of the hawaiian entomological society (2019) 51(2)ii	whether	flowers	were	suitable	for	export	markets.	In	cooperation	with	Washington	State	University	scientists,	Robbie	studied	the	 risk	 for	 accidental	 introduction	 of	yellow	 jackets	 and	 other	 pests	 in	 sea-freight	 containers	with	Christmas	 trees	destined	 for	Hawaii	 and	 advocated	 for	more	rigorous	tree	shaking	on	arrival	and	pre-shipment	control	using	pyrethroids.		 Robbie	spent	much	of	his	 later	career	raising	awareness	about	the	pest	and	vec-tor	 status	 of	 slugs	 and	 snails	 in	Hawaii	and	 other	 Pacific	 islands,	 documenting	pest	problems	and	distributions,	develop-ing	methods	 to	prevent	 or	 control	 these	quarantine	 pests,	 and	 communicating	these	methods	to	growers,	regulators,	and	other	researchers.	With	the	assistance	of	Centers	for	Disease	Control	and	Preven-tion	 researchers,	Robbie	 carried	out	 the	first	Hawaii	island-wide	survey	document-ing	the	agricultural	pest	status	of	the	slug	Parmarion martensii,	its	distribution,	be-havioral	traits,	and	vector	propensity.	The	survey	 documented	 unusual	 behavioral	traits	for	the	new	species	(e.g.,	propensity	to	climb)	which,	in	combination	with	its	status	as	an	important	carrier	of	rat	lung-worm	disease	 (caused	 by	 the	 nematode	Angiostrongylus cantonensis),	 provided	an	explanation	for	the	high	incidence	of	rat	lungworm	disease	noted	in	east	Hawaii	island	in	recent	years.		 After	a	short	retirement,	Robbie	was	re-hired	at	USDA-ARS	in	Hilo	to	develop	a	program	in	coffee	pest	management	with	a	focus	on	the	coffee	berry	borer,	a	new	pest	at	 the	 time	 that	has	 since	 reshaped	the	 coffee	 industry.	 He	 started	many	cooperative	 projects	with	 growers	 and	other	scientists	that	continue	in	one	form	or	another	to	this	day.	Robbie	developed	a	 freezing	 treatment	 for	 control	 of	 cof-fee	 berry	 borer	 (CBB)	 in	 green	 coffee	that	 is	 approved	 for	 use	 by	 the	Hawaii	Department	of	Agriculture	for	intrastate	shipments	 to	 ensure	 that	 CBB	 is	 not	moved	between	islands.	He	also	initiated	several	projects	that	greatly	improved	our	understanding	of	CBB	biology	in	Hawaii,	including	patterns	of	flight	activity,	devel-opment	across	an	elevational	gradient,	and	the	importance	of	ground	and	tree	raisins	as	post-harvest	population	 reservoirs.	A	couple	of	years	ago	Robbie	bought	a	piece	of	land	with	Luis	Aristizábal	in	Kau	on	the	Big	Island	with	the	intention	of	creating	a	coffee	research	farm	to	explore	new	and	innovative	 production,	 harvesting,	 and	pest	management	ideas.	As	in	everything	he	did,	Robbie	was	passionate	about	his	job	and	research,	and	he	also	introduced	many	friends	and	colleagues	to	the	art	of	making	an	excellent	cup	of	coffee.	 After	 about	 two	 decades	 in	Hawaii,	Robbie	returned	to	NC	State	in	early	2018	as	a	research	specialist	on	mollusks	at	the	NSF	Center	for	Integrated	Pest	Manage-ment,	with	the	goal	of	preventing	the	intro-duction	of	non-native	plant-pest	mollusks	in	 the	United	States.	The	 course	 of	 his	professional	career	resulted	in	more	than	100	 published	 papers	 in	 peer-reviewed	journals	and	more	than	30	invited	talks.	Robbie	also	held	 leadership	positions	 in	the	Hawaiian	Entomological	Society	and	the	Entomological	Society	of	America’s	International	Affairs	Committee.			 Robbie	loved	living	on	the	Big	Island	and	felt	at	home	there.	Robbie’s	enthusi-asm	and	energy	were	felt	all	around	the	island,	 from	 the	floriculture	 industry	 in	East	Hawaii	that	he	worked	with	for	more	than	a	decade,	and	coffee	growers	in	West	Hawaii,	 to	 his	 colleagues	 and	 personal	friends.	After	hours,	he	loved	to	discuss	non-entomological	topics	like	astronomy,	geology,	mythology,	 anthropology,	 reli-gion,	culture,	and	politics,	a	testament	to	his	 active	 and	 inquisitive	mind.	Robbie	was	an	active	participant	in	makule	(se-nior)	soccer	and	ultimate	frisbee,	liked	to	hike	and	 travel	 and	explore	new	places,	and	was	 involved	 in	 several	 important		 	 iiicommunity	 organizations	 including	 the	Hawaii	District	Science	Fair,	which	named	a	student	award	after	him.	His	colleagues	fondly	remember	taking	Robbie’s	surfing	lessons	 at	Waikiki	 beach.	 Robbie	 left	behind	a	scientific	legacy	in	plant	protec-tion	 guaranteed	 to	 inspire	 young	 pest	management	professionals	and	naturalists	alike.	Beyond	his	scientific	legacy,	many	of	 us	 remember	 Robbie	 for	 his	 quick	smile,	easy-going	personality,	contagious	enthusiasm,	and	unconditional	kindness.	—Godshen	Pallipparambil1,	Karl	Suiter1,	Luis	Aristizábal2,	Jack	Armstrong3,	Joseph	Hollingsworth4,	Melissa	Johnson5,	Nicholas	Manoukis5,	and	Peter	Follett51NSF	Center	 for	 Integrated	Pest	Management,	 1730	Varsity	Dr.,	 Suite	 110,	Raleigh,	North	Carolina	276062Aloha,	Pasias	Coffee	LLC,	Cloud	Rest,	Kau	District,	Hawaii3Quarantine	Scientific	Ltd.,	63	Stanners	Rd.,	RD2,	Kerikeri	0295,	New	Zealand4Asheville,	North	Carolina5USDA	ARS,	64	Nowelo	St.	Hilo,	Hawaii

In Memoriam: Robert Grove Hollingsworth (1957–2019)

http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/68014/1/Robert%20Hollingsworth%20obituary.pdf

In Memoriam: Robert Grove Hollingsworth (1957–2019)

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