CV - Christoph von Beeren
In my personal experience, CVs are among the most boring things to look at and therefore I added a few pictures in between - so here you go.
In 2018, I was invited as a guest to the German children show "1,2, oder 3", which exists since 1977. I actually watched it myself as a kid. It was a great experience and I enjoyed chating about ants with Elton - the moderator of the show. Especially the kids' enthusiasm made this a fun day. Thanks to the ZDF team, this was a great experience and I can only recommend it. You can find more information on the show's website. Copyright: ZDF/Ralf Wilschewski
Education
Mar 2016 - 20XX: Post-doc at the TU Darmstadt; host N. Blüthgen
Feb 2013-Feb 2016: Post-doc at the Rockefeller University, NYC; host D. Kronauer
Aug 2012-Jan 2013: Child care and scientific assistant at the LMU Munich; host V. Witte
May 2012-Jul 2012: Temporary employed biology teacher at the Otto-von Taube Gymnasium, Bavaria
Okt 2007-Feb 2012: PhD thesis at the LMU Munich; supervisor V. Witte
Feb 2007: Diploma in Biology at the Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg; external supervisor R. Wehner
Grants and scholarships
- 2019- 2025: DFG project with own position (part time- 50%)
- 2016-2019: 3-year DFG project with own position
- 2016: DFG return scholarship (6-month DFG Rückkehrstipendium)
- 2013-2015: DFG scholarship for a two-year post-doc position in New York (Forschungsstipendium)
- 2014: Grant of the 'National Geographic Society's Committee for Research and Exploration'
- 2015-2016: Bristol-Myers Squibb Postdoctoral Fellowship (1 year fellowship)
Award
Winner of the ‘Plant, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Research’ award, Biomed Central 2011
Mimics of ant larva - Vestigipoda scuttle flies are certainly among the most remarkable ant guests. Female flies look very similar to the larvae of their host ants - Aenictus army ants. You can see two females in the photo (yellowish with brownish thorax and head). Note that these are adult flies - no larvae!! They have reduced legs, wings and halteres and depend on their ant host for survival. Males are unknown. If you want to find out and see more images of these beauties check out this paper or the blog by Jerry Coyne.
© M. Maruyama
Publications
In the pipeline
von Beeren C., Tishechkin A.K. Taxonomic revision of the army ant-associated histerid genus Aphanister Reichensperger, 1933
von Beeren C. Die vielfältige Welt der Schmarotzer - Gäste tropischer Treiberameisen.
2024
Hoenle P., Merkel C., Blüthgen N., Donoso D.A., von Beeren C. (2024) Hunting habits die hard: Conserved prey preferences in army ants across two distant neotropical rainforests. Ecosphere https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4812
Pedersen K. M., von Beeren C., Oggioni A. , Blüthgen N. (2024) Mammal - dung beetle trophic networks: an improved method based on gut content DNA. PeerJ DOI:10.7717/peerj.16627
2023
Valdivia C, Newton JA, von Beeren C, O’Donnell S, Kronauer D, Russell JA, Łukasik P. (2023) Microbial symbionts are shared between ants and their associated beetles. Environmental Microbiology https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16544
von Beeren C., Pohl S., Fikáček M., Kleinfelder S, Tishechkin A.K., Chani-Posse M, Tokareva A., Żyła D, Maruyama M., Hall W.E., Sörensson M, Kronauer D.J.C. (2023) Army ant middens – home and nursery to a diverse beetle fauna. Ecology and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10451
Mendoza-Guido B., Rodriguez-Hernández N., Ivens A.B.F., von Beeren C., Murillo-Cruz C., Zuniga-Chaves I., Lukasik P., Sanchez E., Kronauer D.J.C., Pinto-Tomás A.A. (2023) Low diversity and host specificity in the gut microbiome community of Eciton army ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dorylinae) in a Costa Rican rainforest. Myrmecological News 33:19-34
2022
Hoenle P.O., Donoso D.A., Argoti A., Staab M., von Beeren C., Blüthgen N. (2022) Rapid ant community reassembly in a Neotropical forest: Recovery dynamics and land‐use legacy. Ecological Applications, e2559
2021
von Beeren C., Brückner A., Hoenle P.O., Ospina-Jara B., Kronauer D.J.C., & Blüthgen N. (2021). Multiple phenotypic traits as triggers of host attacks towards ant symbionts: body size, morphological gestalt, and chemical mimicry accuracy. Frontiers in Zoology, 18:46; https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-021-00427-8.
McKenzie S.K., Winston, M.E., Grewe F., Vargas Asensio G., Rodríguez-Hernández N., Rubin B.E.R., Murillo-Cruz C., von Beeren C., Moreau C.S., Suen G., Pinto-Tomás A.A., & Kronauer D.J.C. (2021). The genomic basis of army ant chemosensory adaptations. Molecular Ecology, https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.16198
2020
Hoenle P.O., Lattke J.E., Donoso D.A., von Beeren C., Heethoff M., Schmelzle S., Argoti A., Camacho L., Stroebel B., Bluethgen N. (2020). Odontomachus davidsoni sp. nov. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), a new conspicuous trap-jaw ant from Ecuador. Zookeys 948: 75-105
2019
Lizon à l'Allemand S., Brückner A., Hashim R., Witte V.*, von Beeren C.* (2019). Competition as possible driver of dietary specialisation in the mushroom harvesting ant Euprenolepis procera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News 29: 71-91 *contributed equally
Hoenle P., Blüthgen N., Brückner A., Kronauer D.J.C., Fiala B., Donoso D., Smith M.A., Ospina Jara B., von Beeren C. (2019). Species-level predation network uncovers high prey specificity in a Neotropical army ant community. Molecular Ecology; 28: 2423-2440 https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15078
2018
Brückner A., Hoenle P., von Beeren C. (2018). Comparative chemical analysis of army ant mandibular gland volatiles (Formicidae: Dorylinae). PeerJ, 6:e5319; DOI 10.7717/peerj.5319
O ’ Donnell S., Bulova S., Barrett M., von Beeren C. (2018). Brain investment under colony-level
selection: soldier specialization in Eciton army ants (Formicidae: Dorylinae). BMC Zoology, 3:3
von Beeren C., Brückner A., Maruyama M., Burke G., Wieschollek J., Kronauer J.C. (2018). Chemical and behavioral integration of army ant-associated rove beetles - a comparison between specialists and generalists. Frontiers in Zoology, 15:8.
2017
Brückner A., Klompen H., Bruce A.I., Hashim R., von Beeren C. (2017). Infection of army ant pupae by two new parasitoid mite species (Mesostigmata: Uropodina). PeerJ, DOI 10.7717/peerj.3870
Tishechkin A.K.T., Kronauer D.J.C., and von Beeren C. (2017). Taxonomic review and natural history notes of the army ant-associated beetle genus Ecclisister Reichensperger (Histeridae: Haeteriinae). Coleopterists Bulletin, 71(2): 279-288.
von Beeren C. and Tishechkin A.K.T. (2017). Nymphister kronaueri von Beeren & Tishechkin sp. nov., an army ant-associated beetle species (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Haeteriinae) with an exceptional mechanism of phoresy. BMC Zoology, 2:3
2016
von Beeren C., Maruyama, M., and Kronauer D.J.C. (2016). Community sampling and integrative taxonomy reveal new species and host specificity in the army ant-associated beetle genus Tetradonia (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae) PLoS ONE 11(11): e0165056.
Ivens A.B.F.*, von Beeren C.*, Blüthgen N., and Kronauer D.J.C. (2016). Studying the complex communities of ants and their symbionts using ecological network analysis. Annual Reviews of Entomology. 61:353-371, * contributed equally
von Beeren C., Maruyama M., and Kronauer D.J.C. (2016). Cryptic diversity, high host specificity and reproductive synchronization in army ant-associated Vatesus beetles. Molecular Ecology, DOI: 10.1111/mec.13500
2015
von Beeren C., Stoeckle M.Y., Xia J., Burke G., and Kronauer D.J.C. (2015). Interbreeding among deeply divergent mitochondrial lineages in the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana). Scientific Reports, 5:8297. doi: 10.1038/srep08297
Ott, R., von Beeren, C., Hashim, R., Witte, V. and Harvey S. (2015). Sicariomorpha, a new myrmecophilous goblin spider genus (Araneae, Oonopidae) associated with Asian army ants. American Museum Novitates, 3843: 1-14
Fikacek M., Maruyama M., Komatsu T., von Beeren C., Vondracek D. and Short A. (2015). Protosternini (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) corroborated as monophyletic and its larva described for the first time: a review of the myrmecophilous genus Sphaerocetum. Invertebrate Systematics, 29:23-36
2014
von Beeren, C., Lizon à l'Allemand, S., Hashim, R. and Witte, V. (2014). Collective exploitation of a temporally unpredictable food source: mushroom harvesting by the ant Euprenolepis procera. Animal Behaviour, 89: 71-77
von Beeren, C., Mair, M.M. and Witte V. (2014). Discovery of a second mushroom harvesting ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Malayan tropical rainforests. Myrmecological News, 20: 37-42
2012
von Beeren C., Hashim R. and Witte V. (2012). The social integration of a myrmecophilous spider does not depend exclusively on chemical mimicry. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 38:262-271
von Beeren C., Pohl S. and Witte V. (2012). On the use of adaptive resemblance terms in chemical ecology. Psyche, review article, Article ID 635761, doi:10.1155/2012/635761
Dissertation von Beeren C. (2012). Social integration of macroparasites in ant societies: ultimate and proximate mechanisms. pp. 1-161
2011
von Beeren C., Schulz S., Hashim R. and Witte V. (2011). Acquisition of chemical recognition cues facilitates integration into ant societies. BMC Ecology, 11:30
von Beeren C., Maruyama M., Rosli H. and Witte V. (2011). Differential host defense against multiple parasites in ants. Evolutionary Ecology, 25:259-276
Mendes L. F., von Beeren C. and Witte V. (2011). Malayatelura ponerophila – a new genus and species of silverfish (Zygentoma, Insecta) from Malaysia, living in Leptogenys army-ant colonies (Formicidae). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, 58:193-200
2008-2010
Maruyama M., von Beeren C. and Witte V. (2010). Aleocharine rove beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) associated with Leptogenys Roger, 1861 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) II. Two new genera and two new species associated with L. borneensis Wheeler, 1919. Zookeys, 59:61-72
Maruyama M., von Beeren C. and Hashim R. (2010). Aleocharine rove beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) associated with Leptogenys Roger, 1861 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) I. Review of three genera associated with L. distinguenda (Emery, 1887) and L. mutabilis (Smith, 1861) Zookeys, 59:47-60
Disney R. H. L., Lizon à l'Allemand S., von Beeren C. and Witte V. (2009). A new genus and new species of scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) from colonies of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Malaysia. Sociobiology, 53:1-12
Kistner D. H., von Beeren C. and Witte V. (2008). Redescription of the generitype of Trachydonia and a new host record for Maschwitzia ulrichi (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). Sociobiology, 52:497-524
Sommer S., von Beeren C. and Wehner R. (2008). Multiroute memories in desert ants. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science U.S.A., 105:317-322
Talks are part of science and they give scientists the chance to communicate their ideas and recent discoveries. With the years, I started to enjoy giving talks to discuss science, although I was quite nervous when I started to do so in 2007. A key moment for me to enjoy and improve my talks was a workshop given by Jean-luc Doumont at The Rockefeller University. The pictures above show me while giving talks at meetings in 2009 (no grey hair) and 2017 (grey hair). Copyright: Sebastian Pohl
Popular science article
von Beeren C. and Kronauer D (2016). Exploring the Guests of Army Ants. Barcode Bulletin 7: 4-5.
von Beeren C. and Witte V. (2012). Tarnung eines Ameisenparasiten. Biologie in unserer Zeit, 42:15-16.
Scientific talks
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von Beeren C. (2022) A remarkable legion of guests: diversity and host specificity of army ant symbionts. International Congress of Entomology, Helsinki.
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von Beeren C. (2022) Diversity, host specificity and integration mechanisms of army ant guests. International Union for the Study of Social Insects, San Diego.
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von Beeren C. (2019) Chemical and behavioural integration of army ant-associated rove beetles – a comparison between specialists and generalists. Central European Workshop of Myrmecology, Regensburg, Deutschland.
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von Beeren C. (2019) Sheep in wolves’ clothing and in wolves’ smell - myrmecoid staphylinids of army ant colonies. International Meeting on Systematics and Biology of Staphylinidae, Verona, Italy.
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von Beeren C. (2018). Vielfalt und Biogeografie der Käfergattung Vatesus (Staphylinidae:Tachyporinae) – Gäste neotropischer Treiberameisen. Deutsches Coleopterologentreffen, Beutelbach, Germany.
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von Beeren C. (2018). Diet specialization in a community of Neotropical army ants. International Union for the Study of Social Insects. Guarujá, Brazil.
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von Beeren C. (2018). Host preferences and life history adaptations of army ant-associated Vatesus beetles (Tachyporinae: Vatesini). International Meeting on Systematics and Biology of Staphylinidae. Copenhagen, Denmark.
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von Beeren C. (2017). Infection of army ant pupae by parasitoid mites. Central European Meeting of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects (IUSSI), Schöntal Abbey, Germany.
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von Beeren C. (2017). Sheep in wolves' clothing and in wolves' smell: anatomical and chemical mimicry in army ant-associated staphylinids. German Zoological Society (DZG), University of Bielefeld, Germany.
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von Beeren C. (2016). Host specificity of army ant-associated insects. Joint lab meeting Foitzik-Blüthgen-Kaltenpoth, Griesheim, Euler Flughafen, Germany.
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von Beeren C. (2016). Biodiversity and host specificity of army ant-associated insects. International Congress of Entomology, Orlando, Orange County Convention Center, USA.
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von Beeren C. (2016). Biodiversity, life history adaptations and host specificity in army ant-associated insects. Ant Symposium, Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Germany.
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von Beeren C. (2015). Ecological and evolutionary dynamics in species-rich host-parasite communities. BSVMRKY seminar series, New York, The Rockefeller University, USA.
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von Beeren C. (2015). Ecological and evolutionary dynamics in species-rich host-parasite communities. Emmy-Noether job talk, Berlin, DFG, Germany.
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von Beeren C. and Kronauer D. (2015). Host specificity and reproductive synchronization in army ant associated beetles. Social Insects iN the North-East RegionS 5 (SINNERS5), Boston, Boston University, USA.
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von Beeren C. and Kronauer D. (2014). Network structures of army ant parasites. Social Insects iN the North-East RegionS 4 (SINNERS4), Ithaca, Cornell University, USA.
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von Beeren C. and Kronauer D. (2014). Myrmecophile community structures. Naomi Pierce Labmeeting, Cambridge, Harvard University, USA.
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von Beeren C. and Witte V. (2014). Different reliance on chemical mimicry in two ant parasites. International Society for Behavioral Ecology (ISBE), New York City, USA.
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von Beeren C. and Kronauer D. (2014). Biodiversity and life history adaptations of army ant symbionts. International Union for the Study of Social Insects (IUSSI), Cairns, Australia.
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von Beeren C. and Kronauer D. (2014). Species-rich host-parasite communities: a case study of army ant parasites. Nico Bluethgen Labmeeting, Tecnical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.
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von Beeren C. and Feener D. (2014). Ant parasites and parasitoids. Seminar series at La Selva Biological Station, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.
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Joint talk: Ivens A. and von Beeren C. (2013). Beyond ants: their myrmecophilous 'housemates'. SINNERS 2, Millbrook, USA.
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von Beeren (2013). Chemical integration of ant parasites. Seminar series LaSelva Biological Station, Porto Viejo, Costa Rica.
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von Beeren C. (2012). Social integration of macroparasites in ant societies: proximate and ultimate mechanisms. Disputation, LMU Munich, Germany
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von Beeren C. (2010). How to measure the impact of parasites. Graduiertenkolleg Verhaltensökologie der DZG, Biological field station Gülpe, Brandenburg, Germany
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von Beeren C. and Witte V. (2010). Differential host defense against multiple parasites in ants. 4th EES Conference 2010, LMU Munich, Germany
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von Beeren C. and Witte V. (2009). Aggression of a host ant in a multiple parasite-one host system is directed against the most destructive parasites. Central European Meeting of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects (IUSSI), Frauenchiemse, Germany
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von Beeren C. and Witte V. (2008). Integration mechanism of different symbionts in army ant societies. Graduate Meeting of the Section Evolutionary Biology of the German Zoological Society, Hamburg, Germany