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At last there is a guide book for insect pests and beneficial species written for South Carolina. Dr. Merle Shepard and Dr. Ed Farnworth have written an accessible resource for Lowcountry gardeners full of color photographs, many taken by Dr. Shepard. He will discuss some of the main insects of concern as well as insect helpers found in our gardens. Dr. Shepard will be available to autograph books after the discussion.

Merle Shepard holds Masters and Ph.D. degrees in entomology and taught graduate courses in Insect Ecology and Insect Pest Management at Clemson University for 14 years. He directed the graduate degree programs of 30 students. He lived in S. E. Asia for 8 years, as Head of the Entomology Department of the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines and as team leader for a project on integrated pest management in Indonesia. He received the Award of Excellence in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) from the Entomological Society of America and numerous other awards. He has authored and/or co-authored over 150 refereed publications and has published 5 books and numerous book chapters. His research interests are centered on biological control of insects, integrated pest management (IPM) and pollinating insects. His interest in macrophotography is reflected in many of the images in his books that include Arthropod Pests of Horticultural Crops in Tropical Asia, Common Insects and Spiders of the South Carolina Lowcountry and Garden Insects of South Carolina.

Bring your lunch or a dish to share. Lunch begins at noon with presentations at 12:30 PM. Free for Master Gardeners and those with Cypress Gardens Season Passes, $10.00 per person for others.

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