Dr. Nathan Derstine
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Profile
Nathan Derstine is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of Richmond. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Entomology at Pennsylvania State University. He completed his MSc at Simon Fraser University, Canada, working with Dr. Gerhard Gries on sexual communication in yellowjackets, before obtaining his PhD in Entomology from Pennsylvania State University in 2023 under the supervision of Dr. Etya Amsalem. Dr. Derstine’s research interests revolve around the identification, biosynthesis, and evolution of insect pheromones.
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Grants and Fellowships
USDA-NIFA Postdoctoral Fellowship ($154,000) 2023-2025
USDA-NIFA Predoctoral Fellowship (($119,245) 2021-2023
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Awards
Early Career Research Award, International Society for Chemical Ecology (2025)
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Presentations
Derstine NT (2025). Decoding Insect Signals: From Social Behavior to Invasive Species Management. Biology Department Seminar, Richmond, Virginia.
Derstine NT (2025). Integrative perspectives on social insect chemical signaling (Early Career Award Plenary). International Society for Chemical Ecology, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Derstine NT, Paranjape S, *Murray C, Amsalem E (2024). The chemical evolution of Dufour’s gland signals across bees. International Society for Chemical Ecology, Prague, Czech Republic.
Derstine NT, Laremore T, Amsalem E (2024). Biosynthesis of reproductive signals in the Dufour’s gland of workers is regulated post-transcription. Biology and Genomics of Social Insects, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY.
Invited - Derstine NT. Sociality and the evolution of reproductive signals in bees. Suter Science Seminar, Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, VA. March 13, 2024.
Derstine NT, Laremore T, Amsalem E (2023). Biosynthesis of Dufour’s gland signals in Bombus impatiens – insights from RNAseq and proteomics. International Society of Chemical Ecology, Bangalore, India.
Derstine NT, Villar G, Amsalem E (2022). Using RNAseq to examine the biosynthesis of caste specific signals in Bombus impatiens. International Society for the Study of Social Insects, San Diego, CA.
Derstine NT, Villar G, Amsalem E (2021). Using RNAseq to examine the biosynthesis of caste specific signals in Bombus impatiens. Entomological Society of America, Denver, CO.
Derstine NT, Amsalem E (2021). Using sublethal pesticide exposure to examine honest signaling properties of sexual communication in bees. Center for Pollinator Research Symposium, State College, PA.
Derstine NT, Amsalem E (2021). Using sublethal pesticide exposure to examine honest signaling properties of sexual communication in bees. International Society for Chemical Ecology, virtual via South Africa.
Derstine NT, Amsalem E (2021). Using sublethal pesticide exposure to examine honest signaling properties of sexual communication in bees. Biology and Genomics of Social Insects, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories. Virtual poster session.
Derstine NT, Villar G, Amsalem E (2019). The evolution of Dufour’s gland esters in bees: from structural to communicative role. International Society for Chemical Ecology, Atlanta, GA.
Derstine NT, Villar G, Amsalem E (2018). The evolution of Dufour’s gland esters in bees: from structural to communicative role. Social Insects in the North East Regions, Philadelphia, PA.
Derstine NT, Canlas I, Carrillo D, Cooperband MF (2018) Lycorma delicatula electrophysiology: in pursuit of host-plant kairomones. 29th USDA Interagency research forum on invasive species. Poster session.
Derstine NT, Gries R, *Szulc N, Ibarra Jimenez S, Gries G (2015) Chemistry of male attraction in the bald-faced hornet, Dolichovespula maculata (Hymenopetera: Vespidae). Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of Canada, Montreal, Quebec.
Derstine NT, Troyer EJ, Suttles C, Siderhurst LA, Jang EB, Siderhurst MS (2011) Field trapping little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pacific Branch Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, Waikaloa, HI.
Derstine NT, Troyer EJ, Showalter DN, Jang EB, Siderhurst MS (2010) Field studies of Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger) alkylpyrazines: Towards management applications. Eastern Branch Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, Annapolis, MD.
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Grants and Fellowships
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Publications
Journal Articles
Derstine NT, *Murray C, *Purnell F, Amsalem E. (2025). Sublethal pesticide exposure decreases mating and disrupts chemical signaling in a beneficial pollinator. Science of the Total Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179005
Amsalem E, Derstine NT, *Murray C. (2025). Hormetic response to pesticides in diapausing bees. Biology Letters 21 (20240612). http://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2024.0612
Derstine NT, Laremore T, and Amsalem E (2024). Post-transcriptional regulation of Dufour’s gland reproductive signals in bumble bees. BMC Genomics 25 (976). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-024-10873-3
Derstine NT, Galbraith D, Villar G, Amsalem E (2023). Differential gene expression underlying the biosynthesis of Dufour’s gland signals in Bombus impatiens. Current Research in Insect Science (100056) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cris.2023.100056
Derstine NT, Villar G, Hefetz A, Millar J, Amsalem E (2021). Dufour’s gland analysis reveals caste and physiology specific signals in Bombus impatiens. Scientific Reports (11) 2821 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82366-2
Treanore E, Barie K, Derstine NT, *Gadebusch K, Orlova M, *Porter M, *Purnell F, Amsalem E (2021). Optimizing Laboratory Rearing of a Key Pollinator Bombus impatiens. Insects 12(8) 673. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12080673
Murman K, Setliff GP, Pugh CV, Toolan MJ, Canlas I, Cannon S, *Abreu L, *Fetchen M, Zhang L, Warden ML, Wallace M, Wickham J, Spichiger S, Swackhamer E, Carrillo D, Cornell A, Derstine NT, Barringer L, Cooperband MF (2020). Distribution, Survival, and Development of Spotted Lanternfly on Host Plants Found in North America. Environmental Entomology 49(6) 1270-1281. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvaa126
Treanore E, Derstine NT, Amsalem E (2020). What can mechanisms underlying advanced traits tell us about the evolution of social behavior? Invited review: Annals of the Entomological Society of America 114(5) 547-561. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saaa033
Derstine NT, Meier L, Canlas I, Murman K, Cannon S, Carrillo D, Wallace M, Cooperband M (2020). Plant volatiles help mediate host plant selection and attraction of the spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae): a generalist with a preferred host. Environmental Entomology 49(5) 1049-1062. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvaa080
Starkey J, Derstine NT, Amsalem E (2019). Do bumble bees produce brood pheromone? Journal of Chemical Ecology 45(9) 725-734. 10.1007/s10886-019-01101-4
Cooperband MF, Wickham J, Cleary K, Spichiger SE, Zhang L, Baker J, Canlas I, Derstine NT, Carrillo D (2019). Discovery of three kairomones in relation to trap and lure development for spotted lanternfly (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae). Journal of Economic Entomology 112(2):671-682. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toy412
Derstine NT, Gries R, Zhai H, Jimenez SI, Gries G (2018). Cuticular hydrocarbons determine sex, caste, and nest membership in each of four species of yellowjackets. Insectes Sociaux 65(4) 581-591. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-018-0649-0
Ren W+, Gries R+, McCaughey C+, Derstine NT+, Alamsetti SK, Kurita KL, *Tu L, Linington RG, Britton R, Gries G (2018). Maculatic acids: sex pheromone components of bald-faced hornets. Angewandte Chemie 130:36 11792-11796.https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201804666
+authors contributed equally
Derstine NT, Ohler, B., Jimenez SI, Landolt P, Gries G (2017). Evidence for sex pheromones and inbreeding avoidance in select North American yellowjackets. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 164: 35-44. https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.12591
Jimenez SI, Carroll C, Babcock T, Derstine NT, Hadwin A, Moore M, Gries G (2016). Yeasts harboured by vespine wasps in the Pacific Northwest. Environmental Entomology 46: 217-225. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvw173
Jimenez SI, Gries R, Zhai H, Derstine NT, McCann S, Gries G (2016). Evidence for a nest defense pheromone in Bald-faced hornets, Dolichovespula maculata, and identification of components. Journal of Chemical Ecology: 1-11. doi.org/10.1007/s10886-016-0699-6
Jimenez SI, Derstine NT, Gries G (2015). Assessing a method for rearing North American yellowjackets. Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia 112: 47-56.
Siderhurst MS, Jang EB, Carvalho LA, Nagata JT, Derstine NT (2015). Disruption of Darna pallivitta (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae) by conventional and mobile pheromone deployment. Journal of Insect Science: 15: 67.
Derstine NT, Troyer EJ, Suttles CN, Siderhurst LA, Jang EB, Siderhurst MS (2012). Field trapping the little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata. Journal of Insect Science 12: 93.
Troyer EJ, Derstine NT, Showalter DN, Jang EB, Siderhurst MS (2009). Field Studies of Wasmannia auropunctata Alkylpyrazines: Towards Management Applications. Sociobiology 54: 955.
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In the News
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