EDUCATION

• BSc (1996) Zoology, Madras Christian College, India
• MSc (1999) Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University
• PhD (2003) Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University
• Post-doctoral Fellow (2005), Dartmouth College
• Post-doctoral Fellow (2006), Michigan State University

PROFILE

My research explores the ecology and management of native and exotic forest insect pests, including semiochemistry, host and mate finding behaviour, community and population ecology. I am interested in using empirical and theoretical approaches to understand the factors involved in pushing forest insect populations over the edge, causing them to transition from endemic to epidemic states.

PUBLICATIONS

Pureswaran D.S. and B.T. Sullivan (2012). Semiochemical emission from individual galleries of the southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), attacking standing trees. Journal of Economic Entomology. 105: 140-148.

Flaherty L., J. Sweeney, D. Pureswaran and D. Quiring. (2011). Influence of host tree condition on the performance of an exotic spruce longhorn beetle, Tetropium fuscum (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Environmental Entomology. 40: 1200-1209.

Pureswaran D.S. and T.M. Poland. (2009). Effects of visual silhouette, leaf size and host species on feeding preference by adult emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). The Great Lakes Entomologist. 42: 62-71.

Pureswaran D.S. and T.M. Poland (2009). Host selection and feeding preference of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) on ash (Fraxinus spp.). Environmental Entomology. 38: 757-765.

Poland T.M., D.S. Pureswaran, T.M. Kuhn and J.H. Borden. (2009). 1-Octen-3-ol is repellent to Ips pini (Say) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) in the mid-western United States. The Canadian Entomologist. 141: 158-160.

Pureswaran D.S. and T.M. Poland. (2009). The role of olfaction in short-range mate finding by the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). Journal of Insect Behavior. 22: 205-216.

Poland T.M., T.M. Kuhn, D.S. Pureswaran and A. Diss-Torrance. (2008). Evaluating the use of plastic bags to prevent escape of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) from firewood (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). The Great Lakes Entomologist. 41: 40-48.

Borden J.H., D.S. Pureswaran and J.P. Lafontaine. (2008). Synergistic blends of monoterpenes for aggregation pheromones of the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Journal of Economic Entomology. 101: 1266-1275.

Pureswaran D.S., R.W. Hofstetter and B.T. Sullivan. (2008). Attraction of the southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis to pheromones of the western pine beetle, Dendroctonus brevicomis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) in an allopatric zone. Environmental Entomology 37: 70-78.

Pureswaran D.S., B.T. Sullivan and M.P. Ayres. (2008). High individual variation in pheromone production by tree-killing bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae). Naturwissenschaften 95: 33-44.

Sullivan B.T., W.P. Shepherd, D.S. Pureswaran and K. Mori. (2007). Evidence that (+)-endo-brevicomin is a male produced aggregation pheromone component of the southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis. Journal of Chemical Ecology 33: 1510-1527.

Pureswaran D.S., B.T. Sullivan and M.P. Ayres. (2006). Fitness consequences of host selection and pheromone production strategies in a tree-killing bark beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae). Oecologia 148: 720-728.

Pureswaran D.S. and J.H. Borden. (2005). Primary attraction and kairomonal host discrimination in three species of Dendroctonus Coleoptera: Scolytidae). Agricultural and Forest Entomology 7: 219-230.

Borden J.H., D.S. Pureswaran and L.M. Poirier. (2004). Evaluation of two repellent semiochemicals for disruption of attack by the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia 101: 37-43.

Pureswaran D.S., R. Gries and J.H. Borden. (2004). Quantitative variation in monoterpenes in four species of conifers. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 32: 1109-1136.

Pureswaran D.S. and J.H. Borden. (2004). New repellent semiochemicals for three species of Dendroctonus (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). Chemoecology 14: 67-75.

Pureswaran D.S., R. Gries and J.H. Borden. (2004). Antennal responses of four species of tree-killing bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) to volatiles collected from beetles and their host and nonhost conifers. Chemoecology 14: 59-66.

Pureswaran D.S. and J.H. Borden. (2003). Is bigger better? Size and pheromone production in the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). Journal of Insect Behavior 16: 765-782.

Pureswaran D.S. and J.H. Borden. (2003). Test of semiochemical mediated host specificity in four species of tree killing bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). Environmental Entomology 32: 963-969.

Pureswaran D.S., R.Gries, J.H. Borden and H.D. Pierce, Jr. (2000). Dynamics of pheromone production and communication in the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, and the pine engraver, Ips pini (Say) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). Chemoecology 10: 153-168.