Catherine Scott, MSc Candidate
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6
Phone: 778.782.5939, Email: ces14@sfu.ca
EDUCATION
2011 –
present
MSc, Biology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC
Thesis: Web reduction behaviour and the chemical communication system of the
western black widow, Latrodectus hesperus
2008
BSc, Mathematics, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON
AWARDS
2014
2013
2013
2012 –
2013
2011 –
2013
2007
SFU Biological Sciences Travel and Minor Research Award ($400)
Entomological Society of BC Graduate Student Scholarship ($400)
Entomological Society of Canada President’s Prize for best student talk ($150)
SFU Biological Sciences Travel and Minor Research Awards (2 awards of $500 each)
Simon Fraser University Graduate Fellowships (3 awards of $6250 each)
Norman Miller Fellowship in Mathematics Education ($1000)
PUBLICATIONS
2014
2014
2013
2012
McCann, Scott, C., S., Moeri, O., Jones, T., O’Donnell, S. & Gries, G. Falconid raptor
rivals predatory impact of army ants on social wasps. Insectes Sociaux, in press.
Vibert, S., Scott, C., & Gries, G. A meal or a male? The 'whispers' of black widow
males do not trigger a predatory response in females. Frontiers in Zoology 11(1): 4
McCann, S., Moeri, O., Jones, T., Scott, C., Gries, R., Khaskin, G., O’Donnell, S. &
Gries, G. Strike Fast, Strike Hard: the Red-throated Caracara Exploits Absconding
Behavior of Social Wasps during Nest Predation. PLOS ONE 8(12): e84114
Scott, C., Vibert, S. & Gries, G. Evidence that web reduction by western black widow
males functions in sexual communication. The Canadian Entomologist 144: 672–678.
MANUSCRIPTS SUBMITTED FOR PUBLICATION
2014
Scott, C., McCann, S., Gries, R., Khaskin, G., & Gries, G. N-3-Methylbutyryl-Omethylpropanoyl-L-serine methyl ester – pheromone component of western black
widow females. Submitted to Journal of Chemical Ecology, 16 Nov. 2014
2014
Scott, C., Kirk, D., McCann, S., & Gries, G. Web reduction by male black widows
makes pheromone-emitting females' webs less attractive to rivals. Submitted to
Behavioral Ecology, 28 Nov. 2014
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Simon Fraser University Department of Biological Sciences, Burnaby, BC:
2014
Graduate Teaching Assistant for BISC 204 Introduction to Ecology
Guest lecturer: Ecology of Spiders (Nov. 25, 2014)
2013
Supervisor for two BISC 498 Research Projects
Chloe Gerak: Chemical communication and courtship behaviour in the false black
widow, Steatoda grossa
Devin Kirk: Chemical communication and web reduction behaviour in the western
black widow, Latrodectus hesperus
2013
Graduate Teaching Assistant for BISC 101 General Biology
Queen’s University Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Kingston, ON:
2006 –
2007
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for MATH 121/122 Math Investigations
2007
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant in the drop-in Math Help Centre
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Gries Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC:
2012
Graduate Research Assistant
Foraging ecology of Red-throated Caracaras and army ants in French Guiana.
2011
Graduate Research Assistant
Development of a MATLAB program for the analysis of video polarimetry data, to be
used in the study of polarized light cues in insect foraging.
2010
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Vibratory communication and courtship behaviour in web-building spiders
(Latrodectus hesperus and Tegenaria agrestis).
2010
BISC 498 Undergraduate Research Project
Vibratory communication in western black widow spiders (Latrodectus hesperus).
Institute of Materials Research, GKSS Research Centre, Geestacht, Germany:
2007
IAESTE (Exchange of Students for Technical Experience) Undergraduate
Research Trainee
Corrosion of magnesium alloys for biomedical applications.
PRESENTATIONS AT CONFERENCES
2014
Scott, C. The truth about spider bites: “Aggressive” spiders and the threat to public
health. Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of British Columbia, Burnaby,
BC, Oct. 24 – 25. *Invited talk in the symposium “Dangerous Creatures?Arthropods
Affecting Human Health, Fact and Fiction”
2014
Scott, C., Kirk, D., McCann, S. & Gries, G. Web reduction behaviour and the
chemical communication system of the western black widow, Latrodectus hesperus.
(Talk) Joint Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of Saskatchewan and and
Entomological Society of Canada, Saskatoon SK, Sept. 28 – Oct. 1, 2014. *Invited talk
in the Graduate Student Showcase
2013
Scott, C., Kirk, D., McCann, S. & Gries, G. Web reduction behaviour in black
widows: a story of attraction, courtship, manipulation, and rivalry. (Talk) Annual
General Meeting of the Entomological Society of BC, Victoria BC, Nov. 1, 2013.
2013
Scott, C., Kirk, D., McCann, S. & Gries, G. Web reduction behaviour in black
widows: a story of attraction, courtship, manipulation, and rivalry. (Talk) Joint Annual
Meeting of the Entomological Society of Ontario and the Entomological Society of
Canada, Guelph ON, Oct. 20 – 23, 2013. *President’s Prize for best student talk in the
Behaviour and Biological Control session.
2012
Scott, C., Gries, R., Khaskin, G. & Gries, G. Identification of a silk-borne pheromone
component of the western black widow Latrodectus hesperus. (Talk) Joint Annual
Meeting of the Entomological Society of Canada and the Entomological Society of
Alberta, Edmonton AB, Nov. 4 – 7, 2012.
2011
Scott, C., Vibert, S. & Gries, G. Analysis of courtship behaviour in the western black
widow, Latrodectus hesperus, with insights into vibratory and chemical signals.
(Poster) Annual meeting of the International Society of Chemical Ecology, Burnaby
BC, July 24 – 28, 2011. *Honorable mention, student poster competition.
2010
Scott, C., Vibert, S. & Gries, G. Courtship behavior and mating success in the black
widow Latrodectus hesperus. (Talk) Joint Annual Meeting of the Entomological
Society of BC and the Entomological Society of Canada, Vancouver BC, Oct. 31 –
Nov. 3, 2010.
COAUTHORED PRESENTATIONS AT CONFERENCES
2014
Gerak, C., Scott, C., McCann, S., & Gries, G. How the false widow spider finds true
love: female contact pheromone elicits male courtship behaviour in Steatoda grossa.
(Talk) Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of British Columbia, Burnaby,
BC, Oct. 24 – 25.
2014
McCann, S., Jones, T., Moeri, O., Scott, C., O’Donnell, S., & Gries, G. Red-throated
Caracaras versus army ants aswasp predators in Neotropical forests. (Talk) Annual
Meeting of the Entomological Society of British Columbia, Burnaby, BC, Oct. 24 – 25.
2013
McCann, S., Moeri, O., Jones, T., Scott, C., Khaskin, G., Gries, R., O’Donnell, S.,
Gries, G. A social raptor exploits the absconding response of Neotropical social wasps
in order to prey on their nests. (Talk) Annual General Meeting of the Entomological
Society of BC, Victoria BC, Nov. 1, 2013.
2013
McCann, S., Moeri, O., Jones, T., Scott, C., Khaskin, G., Gries, R., O’Donnell, S.,
Gries, G. Death from the skies: predation on social wasps by Red-throated Caracaras.
(Talk) Joint Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of Ontario and the
Entomological Society of Canada, Guelph ON, Oct. 20 – 23, 2013.
2012
Vibert, S., Scott C. & Gries, G. A meal or a male? The ‘whispers’ of black widow
males do not trigger a predatory response in females. (Talk) Joint Annual Meeting of
the Entomological Society of Canada and the Entomological Society of Alberta,
Edmonton AB, Nov. 4 – 7, 2012.
OUTREACH
•
Maintain a blog about spiders: www.spiderbytes.org (Nov. 2013 – present)
•
Organized and presented an interactive educational display communicating information
about spiders at the Iona Beach Regional Park ‘Spiders Unraveled’ event, Sept. 13, 2014.
•
Organized and presented an interactive educational display communicating information
about arthropods to families at the Richmond Nature Park ‘Bugs Galore!’ event, Sept. 8,
2013 and Sept. 7, 2014.
•
Guest speaker at spider club for grade 2 and 3 students at Upper Lynn elementary school,
7 & 21 May, 2014
•
Organized and presented an interactive educational display communicating information
about arthropods and science to children at SFU’s Halloween ‘Science Spooktacular’
event, Oct. 26, 2013.
SERVICE
•
Volunteer for the Entomological Society of Canada, scanning Bulletins to make available
on the ESC website (current).
•
Volunteer AV operator, Joint Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of Canada
and the Entomological Society of Alberta, Edmonton AB, Nov. 4 – 7, 2012.
•
SFU Biological Sciences Graduate Student Caucus Executive:
Events Committee Officer (2011 – 2012)
Teaching Support Staff Union Representative (2012 – 2013)
MEMBERSHIPS
•
Entomological Society of BC
•
Entomological Society of Canada
•
International Society of Chemical Ecology