VanKuren, N.W.*, Buerkle, N.P.*, Lu, W., Westerman, E.L., Im, A.K., Massardo, D., Southcott, L., Palmer, S.E., Kronforst, M.R. (2025) Genetic, developmental, and neural changes underlying the evolution of butterfly mate preference. PLOS Biology DOI: 10.1371/ournl.pbio.3002989 link
Potdar, S., Dinakar, M., Westerman, E.L. (2024) Behavioural changes in aposematic Heliconius melpomene butterflies in response to their predatory bird calls. Behavioural Processes 2200, 105071 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105071 link
Dijkstra, J.A., Westerman, E.L. (2023) From kelp forests to cunner: The long-tendrilled impact of 50-year career studying marine ecology in the Gulf of Maine. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 569, 151951
Ernst, D.A.*, Agcaoili, G.A.*, Merrill, A.N., Westerman, E.L. (2023) A learning experience elicits sex-dependent neurogenomic responses in Bicyclus anynana butterflies. Molecular Ecology 32(12) :3220-3238 Cover Photo DOI: 10.1111/mec.16920 link *co-first authors
Siebenmorgen, J.P., Tibbs, T.L., Robertson, D.N., Westerman, E.L. (2023) Cryptic mate preference in male Bicyclus anynana butterflies. Journal of Insect Behavior 36:1-10 (Cover photo) DOI: 10.1007/s10905-023-09814-x link
Wang, S., Teng, D., Li, X., Yang, P., Da., W., Zhang, Y., Zhang, Y., Liu, G., Zeng, X., Wan, W., Dong, Z., Wang, D., Huang, S., Jiang, Z., Wang, Q., Lohman, D.J., Wu., Y., Zhang, L., Jia, F., Westerman, E., Zhang, L., Wang, W., Zhang, W. (2022) The evolution and diversification of oakleaf butterflies. Cell 185(17): 3138-3152.e20 Cover Photo DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.06.042 link
Murphy, M.J. & Westerman, E.L. (2022) Evolutionary history limits species’ ability to match colour sensitivity to available habitat light. Proceedings of the Royal Society B DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0612 link
Rather, P.*, Herzog, A.*, Ernst, D.A., Westerman, E.L. (2022) Effect of experience on male mating behavior in Heliconius melpomene butterflies. Animal Behaviour 183: 139-149 DOI:10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.11.004 link *co-first authors
Potdar, S., Westerman, E.L. (2021) Digest: Recurrence of sexually dimorphic neurological structure in neotropical butterflies. Evolution DOI: 10.1111/evo.14401 link
Merrill, A.N.*, Hirzel, G.E.*, Murphy, M.J., Imrie, R., Westerman, E.L. (2021) Engaging the community in pollinator research: the effect of wing pattern and weather on butterfly behavior. Integrative and Comparative Biology 61(3): 1039-1054 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab153 link
Ernst, D.A., & Westerman, E.L. (2021) Stage- and sex-specific transcriptome analyses reveal distinctive sensory gene expression patterns in a butterfly. BMC Genomics 22:584 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07819-4 link
Zhang, Y., Teng, D., Lu, W., Líu, M., Zeng, H., Cao, L., Southcott, L., Potdar, S., Westerman, E., Zhu, A., Zhang, W. (2021) A widely diverged locus involved in locomotor adaptation in Heliconius butterflies. Science Advances 7(32): eabh23240 Cover Photo DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abh2340 link
Robertson, S.M., Dowling, A.P.G., Joshi, N.K., Wiedenmann, R.N., Westerman, E.L. (2021) Nocturnal pollinators significantly contribute to apple production. Journal of Economic Entomology toaab145 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toab145 link
Westerman, E.L., Bowman, S., Davidson, B., Davis, M., Larson, E., Sanford, C. (2020) Deploying big data to crack the genotype to phenotype code. Integrative and Comparative Biology DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa055 link
Rivera-Colon, A.G., Westerman, E.L., Van Belleghem, S., Monteiro, A., Papa, R., (2020) Multiple loci control eyespot number variation on the hindwings of Bicyclus anynana butterflies. Genetics 214(4): 1059-1078 Cover Photo DOI: 10.1534/genetics.120.303059 link
Robertson, D.N., Sullivan, T., Westerman, E.L. (2020) Lack of sibling avoidance during mate selection in the butterfly Bicyclus anynana. Behavioural Processes 173:104062 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104062 link
Westerman, E.L., Antonson, N.+, Kreutzmann, S.+, Peterson, A.+, Pineda, S.+, Kronforst, M.R., Olson-Manning, C. F., (2019) Behavior before beauty: signal weighting during mate selection in the butterfly Papilio polytes. Ethology 125(8): 565-574 DOI:10.1111/eth.12884 link
Westerman, E.L. (2019) Searching for the genes driving assortative mating. PLoS Biology DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000108 link
McConnell, S.C.*, Westerman, E.L.*, Pierre, J.F., Heckler, E.J., Schwartz, N.B. (2018) United States National Postdoc Survey results and the interaction of gender, career choice and mentor impact. eLife 7:e40189 DOI:10.7554/eLife.40189.001 *co-first authors link
Westerman, E.L.*, VanKuren, N.W*., Massaro, D., Tenger-Trolander, A., Zhang, W., Hill, R.I., Perry, M., Bayala, E., Barr, K., Chamberlain, N., Douglas, T.E., Buerkle, N., Palmer, S.E., Kronforst, M.R. (2018) Aristaless controls butterfly wing color variation used in mimicry and mate choice. Current Biology DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.08.051 link
Westerman, E.L., Letchinger, R., Tenger-Trolander, A., Massardo, D., Palmer, D., Kronforst, M.R., (2018) Does male preference play a role in maintaining female limited polymorphism in a Batesian mimetic butterfly? Behavioural Processes 150: 47-58 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.02.014 link
Zhang, W., Westerman, E., Nitzany, E., Palmer, S., Kronforst, M.R. (2017) Tracing the origin and evolution of supergene mimicry in butterflies. Nature Communications 8:1269 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01370-1 pdf
Dijkstra, J.*, Westerman, E.L.*, Harris, L.G. (2017) Elevated seasonal temperatures eliminate thermal barriers of reproduction of a dominant invasive species: A community state change for northern communities? Diversity and Distributions 23(10) 1182-1192 Doi: 10.1111/ddi.12604 *co-first authors pdf
Westerman, E.L., Monteiro, A. (2016) Rearing temperature influences adult response to changes in mating status. PLoS ONE Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146546 pdf
Westerman, E.L., Chirathivat, N+., Schyling, E+., Monteiro, A. (2014) Mate preference for a phenotypically plastic trait is learned, and may facilitate preference-phenotype matching. Evolution 68(6) 1661-1670 Doi: 10.1111/evo.12381 pdf
Westerman, E.L., Drucker, C.B+, Monteiro, A. (2014) Male and female mating behavior is dependent on social context in the butterfly Bicyclus anynana. Journal of Insect Behavior
27(4) 478-495 Doi: 10.1007/s10905-014-9441-9 pdf
Westerman, E.L. Monteiro A (2013) Odour influences whether females learn to prefer or
avoid wing patterns of male butterflies. Animal Behaviour 86: 1139-1145. Doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.09.002 pdf
Westerman, E.L., Hodgins-Davis, A., Dinwiddie, A., Monteiro, A. (2012) Biased learning affects mate choice in a butterfly. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109(27) 10948-10953. Doi: 10.1073/pnas.1118378109 pdf
Buss, L.W., Anderson, C., Westerman, E.L., Kritzberger, C+., Poudyal, M., Moreno, M., Lakkis, F. (2012) Allorecognition triggers autophagy and subsequent necrosis in the cnidarian Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus. PLoS ONE 7(11): e48914. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048914 pdf
Dijkstra, J., Westerman, E., Harris, L.G. (2011) The effects of climate change on species composition, succession and phenology: A case study. Global Change Biology 17: 2360-2369. Doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02371.x pdf
Bear, A., Simons, A+., Westerman, E., Monteiro, A. (2010) The genetic, morphological, and physiological characterization of a dark larval cuticle mutation in the butterfly, Bicyclus anynana. PLoS ONE 5(7): e11563. Doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0011563 pdf
Smits A+., Cooley J.R., Westerman E. (2010) Twig to root: Egg-nest density and underground nymph distribution in a periodical cicada (Hemiptera: Magicacada septendecim (L.)). Entomologica Americanan 116:73-77. Doi: 10.1664/09-RA-004R.1 pdf
Westerman, E., Dijkstra, J., Harris, L.G. (2009) High natural fusion rates in a botryllid ascidian. Marine Biology 156(12): 2613-2619. Doi: 10.1007/s00227-009-1287-x pdf
Westerman, E., Whitlatch, R., Dijkstra, J., and Harris, L.G. (2009) Variation in brooding period masks similarities in response to changing temperatures. Marine Ecology Progress Series 391:13-19. Doi: 10.3354/meps08107 pdf
Dijkstra, J., Dutton, A+., Westerman, E., Harris, L.G. (2008) Heart rate reflects osmotic stress levels in the two introduced colonial ascidians Botryllus schlosseri and Botrylloides violaceus. Marine Biology 154(5): 805-811. Doi: 10.1007/s00227-008-0973-4 pdf
Dijkstra, J., Harris, L.G., Westerman, E. (2007) Distribution and ecology of four colonial ascidians: Botryllus schlosseri, Botrylloides violaceus, Diplosoma listerianum and Didemnum sp. in the Gulf of Maine. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 342: 61-68. Doi: 10.1016/j.jembe.2006.10.015 pdf
+=undergraduate coauthor
bold= member or former member of the Westerman Lab