Rob Bourchier, Ph. D.

Research Scientist

Insect Ecology and Biological Control

5403 1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1

Current research and/or projects

Characterization of invasive pests and exotic biological control agents (Collaborator) 2019-2022

Assessing the range potential of Invasive Alien Species and associated herbivores under climate change with geospatial models of biological collections data (Collaborator) 2018-2021

Enhancing Biological Control of Invasive Plants in British Columbia Biocontrol. CO-PI - 2018-2023.

Potential Insect Biological Control for Invasive Alien Plants in Ontario . CO-PI 2011-2020.

Research and/or project statements

Host-plant insect interactions.
Population dynamics of biological control agents and their hosts.
Invasive species/biocontrol agents – impact, habitat and climate modelling

Professional activities / interests

Implementation of operational biocontrol for invasive plants in Canada.
Ecology and impact of established weed biocontrol agents
Development of new biological control agents for invasive plants in Canada
Student training

Education and awards

PhD, Biology/Ecology, University of Waterloo

MSc, Entomology, McGill University

BA, Economics, Carleton University

C. Gordon Hewitt Award (2001), presented by the Entomological Society of Canada (ESC)

Federal Government 5-NR Science Award for Leaders in Sustainable Development with R. De Clerck-Floate for Weed Biocontrol Research 2001

International experience and/or work

Canadian lead for collaborative international projects developing new biological control agents for invasive plants, including knotweeds, phragmites, garlic mustard and swallowworts.

Key publications

Ensing, D.J., R. Bourchier, R. De Clerck-Floate, V. Miller, S. Turner, C. Moffat. 2021. 50 years of biological control of invasive spotted knapweed in British Columbia. ISCBC Virtual Forum. 15-17 Feb. 2022.
2022 - View publication details
Ensing, D.J., R. Bourchier, R. De Clerck-Floate, V. Miller, S. Turner, C. Moffat. 2021. Research on invasive plant species biological control at AAFC’s Summerland RDC. Guest Lecture to U Saskatchewan's Invasive Plants course (Prof: Jon Bennett) 17 Feb. 2022.
2022 - View publication details
Moffat, C.E., R. Bourchier, R. De Clerck-Floate, P. Mason, D. Ensing. 2021. How do we know biocontrol agents are safe? An overview of past successes and future opportunities for biological control of weeds in British Columbia. I2021 Integrated Vegetation Management Association (IVMA) biennial forum “Everything" in Vegetation Management. Nov 2 - 4, 2021. Invited.
2021 - View publication details
Ensing, D.J., R. Bourchier, R. De Clerck-Floate, V. Miller, S. Turner, C. Moffat. 2021. 30 years of biological control of invasive spotted knapweed in British Columbia. ISCBC Invasive Species Research Conference (virtual), 06-07 October 2021.
2021 - View publication details
Moffat, C.E., R. Bourchier, R. De Clerck-Floate, P. Mason, D. Ensing. 2021. Case studies in biocontrol research in British Columbia: Identifying new targets to post-release monitoring. ISCBC Invasive Species Research Conference (virtual), 06-07 October 2021.
2021 - View publication details
Ensing, DJ, R Bourchier, R De Clerck-Floate, V Miller, S Turner, C Moffat. 2021. 30 years of biological control of invasive spotted knapweed in British Columbia. ISCBC Invasive Species Research Conference, Virtual, 06-07 October 2021.
2021 - View publication details
Moffat, C.E., R.S. Bourchier, R.A. De Clerck-Floate, and D.J. Ensing. 2021. New Research on Old Weeds:
An Update on Biological Control Programs In BC. Thompson Nicola Invasive Plant Management Committee (virtual). 23 February, 2021. Invited.
2021 - View publication details
Moffat, C.E., R.S. Bourchier, R.A. De Clerck-Floate, P.G. Mason, and D.J. Ensing. 2021. How do we know biocontrol agents are safe? An overview of the Canadian research and regulatory process for new biocontrol agents. British Columbia Invasive Species Council. Invasives 2021 Conference (virtual). 9 Februrary, 2021.
2021 - View publication details
Keever, C.C., Gültekin, L., Bourchier, R.S., Myers, J.H., Cory, J.S. (2021). Post-release genetic assessment of two congeneric weed biological control agents. Biological Control, [online] 152 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2020.104462
2021 - View publication details
Dickinson, R.B., Bourchier, R.S., Fulthorpe, R.R., Shen, S.Y., Jones, I.M., Smith, S.M. (2021). Fungal endophytes increase biomass production in pale swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum rossicum (kleopow) barbar.). Botany, [online] 99(6), 337-353. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjb-2020-0181
2021 - View publication details
Ensing, D.J., R. Bourchier, R. De Clerck-Floate, T.D. Nelson, V. Miller, S. Turner, C.E. Moffat. 2020. Classical biological control leads to long term declines in the rangeland invasive spotted knapweed. Entomological Society of America (virtual), 16-19 November, 2020.
2020 - View publication details
Ensing, D.J., T.D. Nelson, R. Bourchier, R. De Clerck-Floate, V. Miller, S. Turner, C.E. Moffat. 2020. Contemporary ecology of historical weed biological control programs: Re-evaluating spotted knapweed biocontrol in BC. Entomological Society of British Columbia (virtual), 26-28 October, 2020.
2020 - View publication details
2020 Livingstone, SW, SM Smith, RS Bourchier, K Ryan, A Roberto and MW Cadotte.
An experimental application of Hypena opulenta as a biocontrol agent for the invasive vine Vincetoxicum rossicum Ecological Solutions and Evidence 1:2 https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12022
2020 - View publication details
Jones, I.M., Smith, S.M., Bourchier, R.S. Establishment of the biological control agent Aphalara itadori is limited by native predators and foliage age. Journal of Applied Entomology, [online] 144(8), 710-718. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jen.12792
2020 - View publication details
Fung, C., González-Moreno, P., Pratt, C., Oliver, T.H., Bourchier, R.S., González-Suárez, M. (2020). Effect of humidity and temperature on the performance of three strains of Aphalara itadori, a biocontrol agent for Japanese Knotweed, 146 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2020.104269
2020 - View publication details
Jones, I.M., Seehausen, M.L., Bourchier, R.S., Smith, S.M. (2020). The Effects of Photoperiod on Diapause Induction in Hypena opulenta (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), a Biological Control Agent Against Invasive Swallow-Worts in North America, 49(3), 580-585. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvaa030
2020 - View publication details
deJonge, R.B., Jones, I.M., Bourchier, R.S., Smith, S.M. Interpreting host-test results for classical biological control candidates: can the study of native congeners improve the process?. Biological Control, [online] 145 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2020.104237
2020 - View publication details
Blossey, B., Endriss, S.B., Casagrande, R., Häfliger, P., Hinz, H., Dávalos, A., Brown-Lima, C., Tewksbury, L., Bourchier, R.S. (2019). When misconceptions impede best practices: evidence supports biological control of invasive Phragmites. Biological Invasions, [online] 22(3), 873-883. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10530-019-02166-8
2019 - View publication details
Bourchier, R.S., Cappuccino, N., Rochette, A., des Rivières, J., Smith, S.M., Tewksbury, L., Casagrande, R. (2019). Establishment of Hypena opulenta (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) on Vincetoxicum rossicum in Ontario, Canada. Biocontrol Science and Technology, [online] 29(9), 917-923. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09583157.2019.1608511
2019 - View publication details
deJonge RB, RS Bourchier, and SM Smith. 2017. Initial Response by a Native Beetle, Chrysochus auratus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), to a Novel Introduced Host-Plant, Vincetoxicum rossicum (Gentianales: Apocynaceae). Environmental Entomology, 46(3), 2017, 617–625
doi: 10.1093/ee/nvx072
2017 - View publication details