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Andrew R. Cline

Graduate Student
Louisiana State Arthropod Museum
Department of Entomology
Louisiana State University

Current employment:
Insect Systematist
California Department of Food and Agriculture-Plant Pest Diagnostics
3294 Meadowview Road
Sacramento, CA 95832-1448 

Statement of Research

My main area of interest involves the taxonomy, systematics and life history strategies of the Nitidulidae, or sap beetles. My dissertation research will produce a global revision of the nitidulid genus Pocadius. Revisionary work is focused on adult, larval, and molecular (i.e. CO1 and CO2 genes) data as characters for cladistic analysis. Pocadius is a moderate sized nitidulid genus, comprising nearly 40 described species. The genus is primarily pan-tropical with some members of the genus extending into the temperate zones. Currently, little is known of this genus from the southern tropics, especially South America and Africa, with only eight species known form South America and 1 species from Africa. Collecting will be conducted in both these regions to further enhance our knowledge of these beetles in the tropics. The genus Pocadius is taxonomically placed within the subfamily Nitidulinae. This subfamily is known to contain genera that feed on a variety of substrates including flowers, fruits, sap flows, carrion, and fungi. Pocadius species are all mycophagous, that is fungal feeders, especially on members of the Gasteromycetes. Part of my thesis research focuses not only on a revision of the genus, but also understanding host fungal relationships and the evolution of mycophagy within the genus. Most host records of Pocadius are from members of the Lycoperdales, commonly known as puffballs. The life history and host use of puffballs for the larvae and adults of these beetles remains unknown. To understand the niche partitioning between the adults and larvae, I am planning an extensive rearing protocol to begin examining the feeding behaviors of the larvae. Feeding patterns of adult beetles can readily be determined from visual inspection of the feeding damage to puffballs. The final aspect of my thesis involves cophylogeny between species of Pocadius and species of the Lycoperdales. Unlike cospeciation, cophylogeny only asserts an ongoing interaction between two species not a series of reciprocal actions and reactions by both parties. Interesting patterns of host use and host switching may become evident following this analysis.

Field work has been conducted  in Costa Rica and Panama following the rainy season in 2002, and in Bolivia in 2004.  In the spring of 2002, I traveled to several museums around North America to study the Nitidulidae within their holdings and the fungi most often associated with mycophagous taxa. During 2003 I traveled to London and St. Petersburg to visit and conduct research at the museums and also network with the specialists in these countries.

Resume

ANDREW R. CLINE

California Department of Food and Agriculture-Plant Pest Diagnostics
3294 Meadowview Road
Sacramento, CA 95832-1448 

email: acline2@lsu.edu

Education and Degrees Awarded

Ph.D. expected, May 2005.  Louisiana State University (LSU).  Advisor: Dr. Chris Carlton. Specializations: Coleoptera Taxonomy/Systematics. Dissertation Title: Systematic Revision of the genus Pocadius and tribe Pocadiini (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae).  GPA: 4.00                       

OTS/Tropical Biology Field Course (2001).  Organization for Tropical Studies, Duke University, Universidad de Costa Rica.  Professor: Dr. Deedra McClearn.  GPA: 4.00

M.S. (2000) Entomology.  University of Missouri - Columbia (UMC).  Advisor: Dr. Elaine A. Backus.  Specializations: Insect Behavior, Plant Insect Interactions.  Thesis Title: Stylet Penetration Behaviors of Lygus hesperus. GPA: 4.00 

B.S. (1996) Biology/Ecology.  University of Alabama-Huntsville (UAH).  Advisor: Drs. Richard Modlin and Robert Lawton.  GPA: 3.62          

Honors/Awards

2004.  Entomological Society of America, Southeastern Branch.  Comstock Award for outstanding Ph.D. student in Entomology.  Awarded for travel to the National ESA meeting (~$1000) an honorarium ($100).

2003  Russian Academy of Science - Invited by the Russian Academy of Sciences to study at the Zoological Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia.

2002  Entomological Society of America - Honorable Mention in Section A Student Poster Competition.

2001  LSU - Linnaean Games Team Member and Captain – semifinals ESA SEB Meeting

2000  LSU - Jelinski Fellowship ($3000/year/3yrs.)

2000  University of Missouri (UMC)- Stone Award for Outstanding Masters Student ($500)

2000  UMC - Linnaean Games Team Member - 1^st place ESA NCB Meeting

1999  UMC - Linnaean Games Team Member - ESA National Champions

1999  UMC - Linnaean Games Team Member - 2^nd place ESA NCB Meeting

1999  UMC - C.V. Riley Entomological Society Award of Merit ($50)

 Grants Awarded

2003. Sigma Xi, LSU Chapter, Grant-In-Aid of Research. "Monography of theNitidulid Genus Pocadius Erichson (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) and Allied Genera."  Travel to the Zoological Institute in St. Petersburg. $500.

2003  NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant. “The Systematics and Biogeography of Pocadius and Related Genera (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae).  $3350.

2002  Ernst Mayr Grant from Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology.  Grant for domestic travel to the MCZ and international travel to the Russian Academy of Sciences, Zoological Institute in St. Petersburg.  Grant.  $1900.

2002  Louisiana State University Travel Award.  $150.

2002  Florida Entomological Society Travel Grant. $200.

2002  Field Museum of Natural History, Travel Grant for Visiting Systematists.  $620.

2002  Canadian Museum of Nature, Travel Grant for Visiting Systematists.  $360.

2001  Louisiana State University Travel Award.  $150.

2001  Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Organization for Tropical Studies, A. W. Mellon Grant. “Comparative study of the mycophagous beetles of southern Costa Rica and northern Panama.”  $1000.

2001  Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS).  “Tropical Biology - An Ecological Approach.”  $3000. 

2001  Sigma Xi LSU Chapter.  Honorable Mention. “Systematics and Evolution of Nitiduline Sap Beetles and Inquilinous Clown Beetles”.  $100.

Refereed Publications

Cline, A.R.  2004.  A new species of Psilotus Fischer vonWaldheim (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)  from Peru, with new distribution records for other Psilotus species.  Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 106(4): 890-898.

Cline, A.R.  2004.  A new sap beetle (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) to the United States with a revised key to the Camptodes Erichson occurring in America North of Mexico.  Insecta Mundi 17(1-2): 101-102.

Cline, A.R.  2004. New State Records for Two Species of Thalycra Erichson (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) with Notes on Species Sympatry. Coleopterists Bulletin 58(1): 137-138.

Cline, A.R.  2003.  New distribution records for Pocadius basalis Schaeffer (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Nitidulinae) from the Southwestern United States.  Coleopterists Bulletin 57: 390.

Cline, A.R.  2003.  Pleoronia tuberculata Kirejtshuk and Cline sp. n. and Stenoronia librodoriformis Kirejtshuk et Cline sp. n.  In: Kirejtshuk, A.G. Four new genera of the Soronia complex (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and tropical America with notes on composition of the complex and description of new species from Southern Hemisphere.  Russian Entomological Journal 12(3): 239-256.

Cline, A.R. and E.A. Backus.  2002.  Correlations among AC electronic monitoring  waveforms, body postures, and stylet penetration behaviors of Lygus hesperus (Hemiptera: Miridae).  Environmental Entomology 31(3): 538-549.

Cline, A.R. and C.E. Carlton.  2004.  Two new species of Epuraea (Orthopeplus) (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) from Mexico.  Coleopterists Bulletin 58(2): 261-270.

Cline, A.R. and C.E. Carlton.  2004.  Review of Lasiodactylus Perty (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) with description of three new species from the Neotropics.  Coleopterists Bulletin 58(3): 355-368.

Cline, A.R. and R.A.B. Leschen.  2005.  Coleoptera associated with the Oyster Mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus Fries, in North America.  Southeastern Naturalist: in press.

Cline, A.R., F.W. Shockley, and B. Puttler.  2002.  Description of surface swimming by Hypera eximia LeConte (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): behavioral, morphological, and phylogenetic implications.  Annals of the Entomological Society of America 95(5): 637-645.

Ewing, C.P and A.R. Cline.  2005.  An illustrated key to the adventive Nitidulidae of Hawaii.  Coleopterists Bulletin:  in press.

Ewing, C.P. and A.R. Cline.  2004.  New records and taxonomic updates for the adventive sap beetles (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) in Hawaii.  Bishop Museum Occasional Papers, Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey, Part 2: Notes.  79: 40-45.

Shockley, F.W. and A.R. Cline. 2004.  A Contribution to the Inventory of the Coleoptera of Missouri: Records from Benton County.  Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society.  77(3): 280-284.

Web Pages and Internet Publications

Cline, A. R.  2003.  New record for Camptodes nigerrimus Grouvelle (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) from southeastern Arizona.  Posted through the Louisiana State Arthropod Museum at: http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/arthropodmuseum/website.htm. “Short articles and other features.”   

Cline, A. R., C. E. Carlton, and R. A. B. Leschen. 2005. “Nitscape: The World of Nitidulidae.”  Web page dedicated to the dissemination of information pertaining to Nitidulidae.

Professional Presentations and Workshops

Cline, A. R.  2001.  “The taxonomic affinities of Nitidulidae.” OTS.  Costa Rica. Cline, A. R. 2001. “Systematic review of Pocadius (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae).  ESA National Meeting. San Diego, CA. 

Cline, A. R. 2001. Insect Taxonomy: Ametabola/Hemimetabola.  OTS workshop for students, faculty, and resource personnel.  Costa Rica.

Cline, A. R. 2001. Insect Taxonomy: Holometabola. OTS workshop for students, faculty, and resource personnel.  Costa Rica. 

Cline, A. R.  2000.  “Stylet penetration behaviors of Lygus hesperus Knight (Hemiptera: Miridae) on cotton.”  LSU Departmental Seminar.

Cline, A. R.  2000.  “Man, mosquitoes and malaria: Tritrophic interactions between a host, vector and parasite.”  LSU Departmental Seminar.

Cline, A. R. and E. A. Backus. 1999.  “Characteristic body posture of Lygus hesperus (Knight) correlated with ingestion.”  ESA North Central Branch Meeting. Des   Moines, IA.

Invited Talks

2003, ESA National Meeting, Cincinnati, Ohio.  Provided Opening Remarks and an Introduction to the Cucujoidea and also presented a talk entitled “Status of the Nitidulinae (Nitidulidae): Problems with Generic Complexes.” in the Section A Symposium “Phylogeny of the Cucujoidea.”

Teaching Experience

Lecture Instruction:

2003, LSU Entomology Department, Insect Taxonomy (3 lectures), Guest Lecturer.  Lectures covered the taxonomy/systematics, biology, and natural history of the Acercarian lineage including the Psocoptera, Pthiraptera, and Hemipteroid groups.  Lecture material is available online at: http//www.agctr.lsu.edu/arthropodmuseum/insect.htm.

2000, LSU Entomology Department, Insects in the Environment (3 lectures), Guest Lecturer.  Lectures covered the reproductive biology and taxonomy of the Odonata, Ephemeroptera, and Hemiptera.

1996, UAH Biology Department, Special Topics Course in Arthropod Biodiversity, Co-Lecturer with Dr. Richard Maudlin.  Lectures covered topics on Crustacean, Arachnid, and Insect Diversity as well as lab studies in the field oriented on how to collect and calculate arthropod diversity in aquatic and terrestrial environments.

Laboratory Instruction:

2003, LSU Entomology Department, Insect Taxonomy (1 session), Instructor

2003, LSU Entomology Department, Insect Ecology Field Trip

2001 & 2003, LSU Entomology Department, Insect Taxonomy Field Trips

2002, LSU Entomology Department, Introductory Entomology (2 sessions), Instructor

2000, LSU Entomology Department, Insects in the Environment (1 section), Instructor

1999, UMC Entomology Department, General Entomology (1 section), Instructor

1998, UAH Biology Department, Organismal Biology (4 sections), Instructor

1997, UAH Biology Department, Introductory Biology (2 sections), Instructor

1997, UAH Biology Department, Organismal Biology (5 sections), Instructor

1997, UAH Biology Department, Introductory Biology (1 section), Instructor

1996, UAH Biology Department, Vertebrate Zoology (1 section), Assistant

Professional Service

2003 - Organized and Moderated ESA Section A Symposium: “Phylogeny of the Cucujoidea.”  Symposium involved international and North American scientists.

2003 - Organized Linnaean Games Competition in conjunction with ESA SEB Local Arrangements Committee.

2003 - Student Representative for LSU Entomology Department

2000/present - Identification of Nitidulidae for Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station

2000/present - Coleopterists Bulletin, manuscript reviewer, 4 manuscripts.

Community Service

2001 - Baton Rouge Audubon Society Insect Talk.  “Insects in Your Community.”

2000 - Museum Tours, University of Missouri, Wilbur Enns Museum

1999/2000 - Earth Day (Insect Education Booth).  Displays and Public Discussions.

1999 - Volunteer Student Worker at ESA National Meeting. Las Vegas, NV.  Poster setup. 

Membership in Scientific Societies

AAAS (Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci.)                    Organization for Tropical Studies

American Museum of Natural History             Sigma Xi                                 

Entomological Society of America                   Society of Systematic Biologists

Entomological Society of Washington              The American Entomological Society

Florida Entomological Society                         The Coleopterist’s Society                                           

Georgia Entomological Society                        The Ohio Coleopterists