MSc Candidate (2025-present; co-advised by Dr. Nigel Raine)

Hi! I am studying the impact of stressors on insects’ navigational behaviour. More specifically, I am first going to look at how captive rearing affects monarch butterflies’ (Danaus plexippus) ability to orient themselves during migration. Having a better understanding of the migratory movements of monarch butterflies might help us better protect this endangered species. I am also going to investigate how queen common eastern bumble bees (Bombus impatiens) navigate to find their nesting spots after overwintering in soils containing pesticides. B. impatiens is not of conservation concern, but many ground-dwelling bees are; understanding how pesticide-contaminated soil affects bee navigation could provide insight into how to protect them. To observe their movements in their natural environments, I am going to use tiny solar-powered radio trackers (CTT Blū+) attached to the thorax of monarchs and the abdomens of bumble bees.

I completed my BSc (Honours) in Biology at the Université de Montréal, after beginning it at the University of Alberta. My undergraduate thesis project focused on the temporal diversity of microparasitic wasps in the Laurentian Forest in Quebec. While completing my undergraduate degree, I also had the opportunity to work as a research assistant in two different labs at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), where I studied microbial entomology using Conophthorus coniperda and Tenebrio molitor as model organisms.

Publications

Goulet M, Hébert C, Favret C. (2025). First records of Mymaromella pala Huber & Gibson (Hymenoptera: Mymarommatidae) in Quebec, Canada. Specimen, 49. https://doi.org/10.56222/28166531.2025.49