ISCA Technologies, Inc. (Riverside, CA) is a successful corporation whose mission is to protect the world from damaging insects and disease causing pathogens, by developing tools and solutions that are economical, effective and ecologically friendly.   Its product range comprises more than 300 species specific insect lures (made with nature identical semiochemicals such as pheromones and natural attractants), more than 20 different types of insect traps, proprietary semiochemical controlled release technologies such as SPLAT^TM (Specialized Pheromone & Lure Application Technology), and a range of novel pest management tools (such as bio-functionalized nanosensors for the detection of plant pathogens).  

The President and CEO of ISCA Technologies is Dr Agenor Mafra-Neto.  He is a leading researcher in the entomological field of insect chemical ecology, the study of the natural chemicals involved in the communication between insects of the same species.   This class of chemicals is also known as semiochemicals.  We believe that managing damaging insect pests with semiochemicals such as insect sex pheromones is the safest method currently known to science.  For example, the nature identical, species-specific sex pheromone affects only the males of that species and disrupts their ability to find a female to mate.  If the males cannot find females, they are not able to reproduce and the population of the pest decreases.   Behavior manipulation of insects using semiochemicals is happening around us all the time in nature.  Flowering plants, for instance, emit odors to attract insects so that they visit and pollinate them.    

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states in their Lepidopteran Pheromones Fact Sheet :
“Based on low toxicity in animal testing, and expected low exposure to humans, no risk to human health is expected from the use of these pheromones. During more than 10 years of use of lepidopteran pheromones as pesticides, no adverse effects have been reported. The safety record for lepidopteran pheromones has allowed the Agency to conclude that consumption of food containing residues of the pheromones presents no risk.”    

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment have evaluated SCLPs and concluded that these chemicals pose negligible risk to human health because they exhibit very low toxicity in animal testing, have no effects on non-target species, and are used in extremely low amounts.

ISCA's commercialization record
ISCA has a strong track record of developing, manufacturing and successfully commercializing pest management tools and solutions. As a result of its successful R&D and commercialization efforts, some recently commercialized products include SPLAT GM^TM and SPLAT Cydia^TM, which are mating disruption products for the control of the gypsy moth and codling moth, respectively; a range of products for citrus leafminer management; the ISCA-Ball trap^TM which effectively traps a wide variety of flying insects including fruit flies; and the synthetic manufacturing of insect pheromones and pheromone lures for the citrus leafminer, light brown apple moth, potato tuberworm moth, brazilian apple leafroller, carob moth, and siberian moth, among others. With ISCA’s outstanding chemical ecology, synthesis and analysis capabilities, it is the world’s sole commercial source for many difficult to synthesize insect pheromones. With an established marketing and distribution infrastructure, its U.S and international customers include growers, home consumers, retailers, distributors, research and academic institutions, state and government pest management entities such as the Department of Defense, United States Department of Agriculture and state departments of agriculture among others. Apart from its distribution network in North America, ISCA also has distributors in Central and South America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia, which it leverages to evaluate and commercialize its pest management tools and solutions. As a result of its successful commercialization efforts, ISCA has experienced record revenue growth for 9 out of its past 10 fiscal years.

ISCA's research & development record
ISCA is heavily involved with contract and in-house biological/entomological research and development. It has a multi-disciplinary team of highly specialized researchers: entomologists, biologists, chemical ecologists, organic and analytical chemists, engineers and information technologists, who have ample experience with integrated pest management (IPM), insect trap development, insect pest monitoring programs and monitoring technology, and insect behavioral assays. Some of ISCA’s facilities include a state-of-the-art semiochemical synthesis and analysis lab; a range of insect testing facilities (e.g. insect wind tunnel and insect testing rooms) for behavioral assays; and production and warehouse facilities both in the US and Brazil. ISCA's team of researchers is constantly working together to develop innovative, environmentally friendly and cost-effective IPM tools and solutions. ISCA has been awarded more than $12 million in prestigious and highly competitive R&D funding from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, the Office of Technology Transfer and Commercialization, United States Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Army for the research and development of its innovative approaches to pest management.

ISCA's contribution to a better and safer world
Global losses caused by pests account for approximately 30-40% of potential food, fiber, and feed production worldwide, with substantially higher losses in many developing countries. These losses are estimated to be US$300 billion annually. For a better and safer world, ISCA shares a commitment and responsibility to reduce the staggering human suffering and economic losses caused by pests. Through a combination of volunteerism and financial contributions, ISCA and its employees support programs to improve health, the environment, its community, and R&D and pest management efforts of researchers, students, and academic institutions, among them (listed alphabetically):

• California State University, Fullerton
• California State University, San Bernardino
• Central Middle School, Riverside
• Michigan State University
• New Mexico State University
• Riverside Community College
• Texas A&M University
• University of California, Berkeley
• University of California, Davis
• University of California, Riverside
• University of Florida
• Virginia Polytechnic
• Western Carolina University

• CSUSB Integrated Technology Transfer Network (ITTN) Program
• The Entomological Foundation
• Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) Advisory Council
• School of Warriors Without Weapons, Instituto Elos - Brazil
• Science and Technology Education Partnership (STEP)
• National Science Foundation Minority-Serving Community Colleges Program
• UC Riverside Chancellor’s Agricultural Advisory Council
• United States Agency for International Development (USAID)