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Gigi DiGiacomo

Research Fellow


University of Minnesota

Area of Expertise

Economics

Project Role

Ms. DiGiacomo leads the economic assessment of biological control measures for SLF and TOH using vineyard-level and areawide measures.


Research Bio

DiGiacomo has 30 years' experience in applied economics at the University of Minnesota. Her research efforts include the costs-benefits of organic and biological control of invasive species, including Spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) and Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula). She has served on the Northcentral Integrated Pest Management Task Force and was awarded the 2024 Distinguished Academic Research prize by the UMN College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences.

Spotted Lanternfly on a grape vine illustration

Managing Spotted Lanternfly and Tree of Heaven is made possible by USDA-ARS Areawide Program #8080-21000-001-00D.

Contact Information:

tracy.leskey@usda.gov

Appalachian Fruit Research Station

2217 Wiltshire Road

Kearneysville, WV 25430

Research Partners:

USDA-ARS

​Penn State University

Rutgers University

Virginia Tech

University of Georgia

University of Minnesota

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Accessibility Statement​

© 2026 Leveraging Biological Control Agents to Simultaneously Reduce Populations of Spotted Lanternfly and Tree of Heaven at an Areawide Scale. All rights reserved.

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