Emma Despland
Associate Professor,Concordia University
Department of Biology
E-mail: emma.despland@concordia.ca
Institution page
Education
ResearchMy research focusses on individual behaviour in plant-insect interactions, and its role in population-level processes. Most of my work to date has concentrated on two outbreaking insect species: the forest tent caterpillar and the desert locust.QCBS students Anne-Sophie CaronPh.D.  Noa DavidaiPh.D.  Ana OliveiraPh.D.  Spencer SchurmanPh.D.  Erfan BariM.Sc.  Rosa Alicia Castillo SalazarM.Sc. Previous students (since 2009) Ennis DarraghPostdoctoral fellow Emilie DionPostdoctoral fellow  Mahsa HakimaraPh.D. Melanie McClurePh.D.  Edith PoundenPh.D. Christopher AdlamM.Sc. Thomas BourdierM.Sc. Eric DexheimerM.Sc. Dominic DonkorM.Sc. Jessica EthierM.Sc. Michael GasseM.Sc.  Gaspar LEGENDREM.Sc. Brian MaderM.Sc.  Chris PlenzichM.Sc. Kalyani RajalinghamM.Sc. Melissa RalphM.Sc. Solène SagneM.Sc. Zhe ShiM.Sc. Allison Pamela Yataco MarquezM.Sc. Michel VorasaneB.Sc. Involvement within the QCBSRelevant QCBS research themesExamples of species studiedMalacosoma disstria Pinus banksiana Pinaceae Schistocerca gregaria Choristoneura fumiferana Spodoptera exigua Mechanitis menapis Nymphalidae Ithomiini Lepidoptera Picea glauca Publications81- Vertical stratification of leaf physical traits exerts bottom–up pressures on insect herbivory in a sugar maple temperate forest Journal Article Hakimara M , Despland E , 2024 Insect Conservation and Diversity (Date Added: 2024-09-07) 80- Limited Differences in Insect Herbivory on Young White Spruce Growing in Small Open Plantations and under Natural Canopies in Boreal Mixed Forests Journal Article Yataco A P , Noor S , Girona M M , Work T , Despland E , 2024 Insects (Date Added: 2024-04-04) 79- Limited Differences in Insect Herbivory on Young White Spruce Growing in Small Open Plantations and under Natural Canopies in Boreal Mixed Forests Journal Article Yataco A P , Noor S , Girona M M , Work T , Despland E , 2024 Insects (Date Added: 2024-04-04) 78- Decreased Soil Microbial Biomass and Changed Microbial Community Composition following a Defoliation Event by the Forest Tent Caterpillar Journal Article , 2023 Forests (Date Added: 2024-05-28) 77- Soil Springtail Communities Are Resilient to Forest Tent Caterpillar Defoliation in Quebec Mixed Hardwood Forests Journal Article Gagnon Koudji E , Despland E , Caron A , Handa I T , 2023 Forests (Date Added: 2023-08-09) 76- Forest Tent Caterpillar Outbreaks Drive Change in Ant Communities in Boreal Forests Journal Article Caron A , Koudji E G , Handa I T , Montoro Girona M , Despland E , 2023 Forests (Date Added: 2023-07-19) 75- Newly introduced butterfly species’ urban habitat use driven by shorter vegetation and exotic plants Journal Article Dexheimer E , Despland E , 2023 Biological Invasions (Date Added: 2023-02-19) 74- Social predation by ants as a mortality source for an arboreal gregarious forest pest Journal Article Despland E , Lessard J , 2022 Basic and Applied Ecology (Date Added: 2022-02-04) 73- Early instar mortality of a forest pest caterpillar: which mortality sources increase during an outbreak crash? Journal Article Caron A , Jarry J J , Despland E , 2021 Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata (Date Added: 2022-01-17) 72- Selection Forces Driving Herding of Herbivorous Insect Larvae Journal Article Despland E , 2021 Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (Date Added: 2022-01-06) 71- Defensive traits during white spruce (Picea glauca) leaf ontogeny Journal Article Lirette A , Despland E , 2021 Insects (Date Added: 2021-08-07) 70- Improved performance of the eastern spruce budworm on black spruce as warming temperatures disrupt phenological defences Journal Article Bellemin‐Noël B , Bourassa S , Despland E , De Grandpré L , Pureswaran D S , 2021 Global Change Biology (Date Added: 2021-05-14) 69- Competition between a native and introduced pollinator in unmanaged urban meadows Journal Article Taggar A K , McGrath E , Despland E , 2021 Biological Invasions (Date Added: 2021-03-18) 68- Leaf toughness as a mechanism of defence against spruce budworm Journal Article , 2020 Arthropod-Plant Interactions (Date Added: 2021-04-16) 67- Ontogenetic shift from aposematism and gregariousness to crypsis in a Romaleid grasshopper Journal Article Despland E , 2020 PloS one (Date Added: 2020-09-01) 66- Top-down and bottom-up controls on an herbivore on a native and introduced plant in a tropical agricultural landscape Journal Article Despland E , Santacruz P G , 2020 PeerJ (Date Added: 2020-04-30) 65- Life cycle and natural enemies of mechanitis menapis (Lepidoptera: Ithomiini) Journal Article Santacruz P G , Despland E , Giraldo C E , 2019 Revista de Biologia Tropical (Date Added: 2020-01-09) 64- Caterpillars cooperate to overcome plant glandular trichome defenses Journal Article Despland E , 2019 Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (Date Added: 2019-07-16) 63- Detoxification of host plant phenolic aglycones by the spruce budworm Journal Article Donkor D , Mirzahosseini Z , Bede J , Bauce E , Despland E , 2019 PLoS ONE (Date Added: 2019-06-01) 62- Host-plant mediated effects on group cohesion and mobility in a nomadic gregarious caterpillar Journal Article C Plenzich, ED 2018 Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology (Date Added: 2018-04-14) 61- Defining the window of opportunity for feeding initiation by second-instar spruce budworm larvae1 Journal Article Fuentealba A , Sagne S , Pureswaran D , Bauce , 2018 Canadian Journal of Forest Research (Date Added: 2018-03-13) 60- Effects of phenological synchronization on caterpillar early-instar survival under a changing climate1 Journal Article Despland E , 2018 Canadian Journal of Forest Research (Date Added: 2018-03-13) 59- How does synchrony with host plant affect the performance of an outbreaking insect defoliator? Journal Article Fuentealba A , Pureswaran D , Bauce , 2017 Oecologia (Date Added: 2017-08-07) 58- Double allomimesis of advancing and retreating individuals maintains cohesion in exploring groups of nomadic caterpillars Journal Article Despland E , Gervais D , Morcos L , 2017 Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology (Date Added: 2017-03-24) 57-Condition dependence in animal colouration: tools for a comparative approach Journal Article Ethier, J, Despland, E 2016 PeerJ ( Date Added: 2018-05-11) 56-Dangerous caterpillars Journal Article Despland E , 2016 Entomological Society of Canada ( Date Added: 2018-05-11) 55-Whither the naturalist in the Anthropocene? Journal Article Despland, E 2016 EcoTone: news and views on ecological science ( Date Added: 2018-05-11) 54-eButterfly as a teaching tool Journal Article Despland, E 2016 eButterfly ( Date Added: 2018-05-11) 53- Do white spruce epicuticular wax monoterpenes follow foliar patterns? Journal Article Despland, E, Bourdier, T, Dion, E, Bauce, E 2016 Canadian Journal of Forest Research (Date Added: 2016-08-30) 52- Silk drives aggregation and following in the neotropical caterpillar Mechanitis menapis (Nymphalidae: Ithomiini): Aggregation in Mechanitis menapis Journal Article Despland, E, Santacruz Endara, P 2016 Physiological Entomology (Date Added: 2016-08-10) 51- Spruce budworm feeding and oviposition are stimulated by monoterpenes in white spruce epicuticular waxes Journal Article Ennis, D, Despland, E, Chen, F, Forgione, P, Bauce, E 2016 Insect Science (Date Added: 2016-06-14) 50- Exploration costs promote conservative collective foraging in the social caterpillar Malacosoma disstria Journal Article Santana, AFK, McClure, M, Ethier, J, Despland, E 2015 Animal Behaviour (Date Added: 2015-06-17) 49- Is Feeding Behaviour on Foliage Affected by lab-Rearing on Artificial Diet? Journal Article Ennis, DE, Mader, BJ, Burnside, K, Bauce, E, Despland, E 2015 Journal of Insect Behavior (Date Added: 2015-03-09) 48- The costs of colour: plasticity of melanin pigmentation in an outbreaking polymorphic forest moth Journal Article Ethier, J, Gasse, M, Lake, K, Jones, BC, Evenden, ML, Despland, E 2015 Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata (Date Added: 2015-02-24) 47- Butterflies of the high-altitude Atacama Desert: habitat use and conservation Journal Article Despland, E 2014 Evolutionary and Population Genetics (Date Added: 2015-01-12) 46- Rapid behavioural gregarization in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria entails synchronous changes in both activity and attraction to conspecifics Journal Article Rogers, SM, Cullen, DA, Anstey, ML, Burrows, M, Despland, E, Dodgson, T, Matheson, T, Ott, SR, Stettin, K, Sword, GA, Simpson, SJ 2014 Journal of Insect Physiology (Date Added: 2014-05-27) 45- Plasticity of collective behavior in a nomadic early spring folivore Journal Article Despland, E 2013 Frontiers in Physiology (Date Added: 2013-07-08) 44- Collective choice of a higher-protein food source by gregarious caterpillars occurs through differences in exploration Journal Article McClure, M, Morcos, L, Despland, E 2013 Behavioral Ecology (Date Added: 2013-01-01) 43- Species Richness and Phenology of Butterflies Along an Altitude Gradient in the Desert of Northern Chile Journal Article Despland, E, Humire, R, Martín, SS 2012 Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research (Date Added: 2012-12-10) 42- Larval experience induces adult aversion to rearing host plants: a novel behaviour contrary to Hopkins' host selection principle Journal Article Mader, BJ, Daoust, SP, Cardinal-Aucoin, M, Bauce, E, Despland, E 2012 Ecological Entomology (Date Added: 2012-06-05) 41- Effects of polymorphic melanism and larval diet on life history traits of Malacosoma disstria moths Journal Article Ethier, J, Despland, E 2012 Journal of Insect Physiology (Date Added: 2012-06-05) 40- Defensive responses by a social caterpillar are tailored to different predators and change with larval instar and group size Journal Article McClure, M, Despland, E 2011 Naturwissenschaften (Date Added: 2012-06-05) 39- Group leadership depends on energetic state in a nomadic collective foraging caterpillar Journal Article McClure, M, Ralph, M, Despland, E 2011 Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology (Date Added: 2012-06-05) 38- Taste receptor activity and feeding behaviour reveal mechanisms of white spruce natural resistance to Eastern spruce budworm Choristoneura fumiferana Journal Article Despland, E, Gundersen, M, Daoust, SP, Mader, BJ, Delvas, N, Albert, PJ, Bauce, E 2011 Physiological Entomology (Date Added: 2012-06-05) 37- Thermal ecology and behaviour of the nomadic social forager Malacosoma disstria Journal Article McClure, M, Cannell, E, Despland, E 2011 Physiological Entomology (Date Added: 2012-06-05) 36- Collective foraging patterns of field colonies of Malacosoma disstria caterpillars Journal Article McClure, M, Despland, E 2010 Canadian Entomologist (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 35- Influence of epicuticular-wax composition on the feeding pattern of a phytophagous insect: Implications for host resistance Journal Article Daoust, SP, Mader, BJ, Bauce, E, Despland, E, Dussutour, A, Albert, PJ 2010 Canadian Entomologist (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 34- Larval nutrition affects life history traits in a capital breeding mothi Journal Article Colasurdo, N, Gélinas, Y, Despland, E 2009 Journal of Experimental Biology (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 33- Nutrient utilization by caterpillars of the generalist beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua Journal Article Merkx-Jacques, M, Despland, E, Bede, JC 2008 Physiological Entomology (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 32- Influence of dietary nutritional composition on caterpillar salivary enzyme activity Journal Article Babic, B, Poisson, A, Darwish, S, Lacasse, J, Merkx-Jacques, M, Despland, E, Bede, JC 2008 Journal of Insect Physiology (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 31- Individual differences influence collective behaviour in social caterpillars Journal Article Dussutour, A, Nicolis, SC, Despland, E, Simpson, SJ 2008 Animal Behaviour (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 30- Collective decision-making and behavioral polymorphism in group living organisms Journal Article Nicolis, SC, Despland, E, Dussutour, A 2008 Journal of Theoretical Biology (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 29- Developmental variation in the forest tent caterpillar: Life history consequences of a threshold size for pupation Journal Article Etilé, E, Despland, E 2008 Oikos (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 28- How do ants and social caterpillars collectively make decisions? Book Chapter Dussutour, A, Colasurdo, N, Nicolis, SC, Despland, E 2007 Cognitive decision-making : empirical and foundational issues (Date Added: 2012-08-09) 27- Pros and cons of group living in the forest tent caterpillar: Separating the roles of silk and of grouping Journal Article Despland, E, Le Huu, A 2007 Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 26- Do food protein and carbohydrate content influence the pattern of feeding and the tendency to explore of forest tent caterpillars? Journal Article Colasurdo, N, Dussutour, A, Despland, E 2007 Journal of Insect Physiology (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 25- Consistent individual differences in the foraging behaviour of forest tent caterpillars (Malacosoma disstria) Journal Article Nemiroff, L, Despland, E 2007 Canadian Journal of Zoology (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 24- Resource distribution mediates synchronization of physiological rhythms in locust groups. Journal Article Despland, E, Simpson, SJ 2006 Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 23- From disorder to order in marching locusts Journal Article Buhl, J, Sumpter, DJT, Couzin, ID, Hale, JJ, Despland, E, Miller, ER, Simpson, SJ 2006 Science (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 22- Effects of synchronization with host plant phenology occur early in the larval development of a spring folivore Journal Article Jones, BC, Despland, E 2006 Canadian Journal of Zoology (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 21- Plasticity in forest tent caterpillar collective foraging schedules Journal Article Peters, MI, Despland, E 2006 Ethology (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 20- How well do specialist feeders regulate nutrient intake? Evidence from a gregarious tree-feeding caterpillar Journal Article Despland, E, Noseworthy, M 2006 Journal of Experimental Biology (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 19- How do primary nutrients affect the performance and preference of forest tent caterpillars on trembling aspen? Journal Article Noseworthy, MK, Despland, E 2006 Canadian Entomologist (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 18- Diet breadth and anti-predator strategies in desert locusts and other Orthopterans Journal Article Despland, E 2005 Journal of Orthoptera Research (Date Added: 2012-08-09) 17- Surviving the change to warning colouration: Density-dependent polyphenism suggests a route for the evolution of aposematism Journal Article Despland, E, Simpson, SJ 2005 Chemoecology (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 16- Food choices of solitarious and gregarious locusts reflect cryptic and aposematic antipredator strategies Journal Article Despland, E, Simpson, SJ 2005 Animal Behaviour (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 15- Social cues and following behavior in the forest tent caterpillar Journal Article Colasurdo, N, Despland, E 2005 Journal of Insect Behavior (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 14- Ontogenetic changes in social behaviour in the forest tent caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Journal Article Despland, E, Hamzeh, S 2004 Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 13- Locust transformation: From solitarious Dr Jekyll to swarming Mr Hyde Journal Article Despland, E 2004 Biologist (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 12- Landscape structure and locust swarming: A satellite's eye view Journal Article Despland, E, Rosenberg, J, Simpson, SJ 2004 Ecography (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 11- Mechanosensory-induced behavioural gregarization in the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria Journal Article Rogers, SM, Matheson, T, Despland, E, Dodgson, T, Burrows, M, Simpson, SJ 2003 Journal of Experimental Biology (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 10- Fractal index captures the role of vegetation clumping in locust swarming Journal Article Despland, E 2003 Functional Ecology (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 9- Role of olfactory and visual cues in the attraction/repulsion responses to conspecifics by gregarious and solitarious desert locusts Journal Article Despland, E 2001 Journal of Insect Behavior (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 8- Gregarious behavior in desert locusts is evoked by touching their back legs Journal Article Simpson, SJ, Despland, E, Hägele, BF, Dodgson, T 2001 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 7- The role of food distribution and nutritional quality in behavioural phase change in the desert locust Journal Article Despland, E, Simpson, SJ 2000 Animal Behaviour (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 6- Small-scale vegetation patterns in the parental environment influence the phase state of hatchlings of the desert locust Journal Article Despland, E, Simpson, SJ 2000 Physiological Entomology (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 5- Small-scale processes in desert locust swarm formation: How vegetation patterns influence gregarization Journal Article Despland, E, Collett, M, Simpson, SJ 2000 Oikos (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 4- Impaired shell gaping and food depletion as mechanisms of asymmetric competition in mussels Journal Article Fréchette, M, Despland, E 1999 Ecoscience (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 3- Spatial scales of desert locust gregarization Journal Article Collett, M, Despland, E, Simpson, SJ, Krakauer, DC 1998 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 2- Climate influences on growth and reproduction of Pinus banksiana (Pinaceae) at the limit of the species distribution in eastern North America Journal Article Despland, E, Houle, G 1997 American Journal of Botany (Date Added: 2012-05-03) 1- Aspect influences cone abundance within the crown of Pinus banksiana Lamb. trees at the limit of the species distribution in northern Québec (Canada) Journal Article Despland, E, Houle, G 1997 Ecoscience (Date Added: 2012-05-03) In the mediaLes chiens sans laisse causent des dommages aux forêts urbaines 2024-07-10 La professeure Annie Deslauriers obtient une subvention du CRSNG de 1,9M$ pour comprendre le dépérissement de l’épinette noire (UQAC) 2023-11-21 Concordia’s Finding Urban Nature outreach project promotes the value of Montreal’s informal green spaces (Alexander Hackett) 2023-10-06 Group of scientists speaks out against plans to build on property near Montreal airport (Phil Carpenter) 2023-06-19 'Beeline' in Montreal offers urban flower route for pollinators (Christine Long) 2023-05-17 Concordians hope to see real progress at the 15th UN biodiversity conference (Maya Lach-Aidelbaum) 2023-04-06 Will the spongy moth again wipe out Quebec tree canopies? Scientists are trying to find out (Isaac Olson) 2023-01-03 To attain global climate and biodiversity goals, we must reclaim nature in our cities (Emma Desplan) 2022-12-21 Concordians hope to see real progress at the 15th UN biodiversity conference (Maya Lach-Aidelbaum) 2022-12-06 Concordians hope to see real progress at the 15th UN biodiversity conference (Maya Lach-Aidelbaum) 2022-12-06 Why the spongy moth outbreak has vanished in Québec (EMMA DESPLAND) 2022-12-02 The Chase: Who is the new chaser? Who is Darragh Ennis? 2020-04-01 Montrealers 'don't need to fear' tent caterpillar invasion (Ghoussoub, Michelle) 2016-06-07 De la nature - ALISON REIKO LOADER - EMMA DESPLAND 2013-06-12 |
