Melissa Cook (MSc Student)
Contact Info
Email: macook@sfu.ca
Phone: +1.778.782.4512
Fax: +1.778.782.3496
Location: B 7250
Current Research
I am currently enrolled in the Master of Science program at SFU where I am co-supervised by Dr. Roitberg (SFU EBERG) and Dr. Sheila Fitzpatrick (Pacific Agri-Food Research Center, Agassiz). Previously, I completed my BSc Co-operative Education degree in Ecology and Evolution focusing on entomology and botany. I also completed an additional major in Archaeology at SFU focusing on archaeobotany, human osteology and ecological archaeology.
My research focuses on host associated differentiation and speciation of cranberry tipworm, Dasineura oxycoccana (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), on highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) and cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon). In British Columbia, D. oxycoccana, was initially found on highbush blueberry and has recently become a pest of cranberry. Dasineura oxycoccana has the potential to speciate on these two closely related crops which will have important pest management implications.
In particular, I have focused on temporal separation and geneflow of tipworm populations found on several varieties of blueberry and cranberry by examining pest and plant phenology. Most recently, I conducted mating and oviposition experiments between tipworm populations found on blueberry and cranberry to examine mating behavior and hybrid performance.
Curriculum Vitae
Available as PDF here.
Publications
- Cook, M. A., Ozeroff, S. N., Fitzpatrick, S. M. and Roitberg, B. D. (2011). Host-associated differentiation in reproductive behaviour of cecidomyiid midges on cranberry and blueberry. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 141: 8–14. [ DOI: 10.1111/j.1570-7458.2011.01166.x ]
- Wijenberg, R., Takacs, S., Cook, M. and Gries, G. (2008) Foraging female German cockroaches join conspecific groups based on the incidence of auditory cues. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 129: 124-131