Dr. Michael Forthman

Curriculum Vitae

Education

• 2016, Ph.D., Entomology, University of California, Riverside
• 2008, B.S., Biology, University of Arkansas, Little Rock

Employment

• 2022-Present, Senior Insect Biosystematist, Entomology Laboratory, Plant Pest Diagnostics Branch, California Department of Food & Agriculture
• 2020-2022, Associate Insect Biosystematist, Entomology Laboratory, Plant Pest Diagnostics Branch, California Department of Food & Agriculture
• 2016-2020, Postdoctoral Associate, Entomology Nematology Department, University of Florida

Professional Activities

• 2020-present, Co-Curator, California State Collection of Arthropods, Plant Pest Diagnostics Branch, California Department of Food & Agriculture
• 2020–present, Subject Editor, Pan-Pacific Entomologist
• 2020-present, Research Associate, Entomology & Nematology, University of California, Davis
• 2017, Symposium Co-organizer: “Breaking into the biobank: promising methods for sequencing DNA from museum arthropod specimens”, Entomological Society of America, Denver, Colorado
• 2015, Symposium Co-organizer: “Synergy in agricultural pest control: use of interdisciplinary approaches to feed a growing population”, Entomological Society of America, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• 2015, Symposium Co-organizer: “Heteropterist Conference”, Entomological Society of America, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• 2014, Symposium Co-organizer: “Grand Challenge: effective science education with communication”, Entomological Society of America, Portland, Oregon
• 2013-2015, Committee member: Entomological Society of America Committee on Student Affairs
• 2013, Symposium Co-organizer: “Pitfalls, malaise, and hoping it all pans out: the state of the art in field collecting methods for insect biodiversity surveys”, Entomological Society of America, Austin, Texas
• 2012, Organizing Committee: XXXI Willi Hennig Meeting, Riverside, California

Publications

1. Adler, K., Schill, A., Stolberg, A., Miller, C.W., & M. Forthman. 2022. First record of the bow-legged bug Hyalymenus subinermis (Heteroptera: Alydidae) in California, with description of the mimetic immature stages. Pan-Pacific Entomologist 98: 138-149.
2. Forthman, M., Miller, C.W., & R.T. Kimball. 2022. Phylogenomic analysis with improved taxon sampling corroborates an Alydidae + Hydarinae + Pseudophloeinae clade (Heteroptera: Coreoidea: Alydidae, Coreidae). Organisms Diversity and Evolution 22: 669-679.
3. Forthman, M., Lara, R., Meeds, A., & D.A. Rider. 2022. First record of Pellaea stictica (Dallas, 1851) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in California, U.S.A. Pan-Pacific Entomologist 98: 76-80.
4. Miller, C.D., Forthman, M., Miller, C.W., & R.T. Kimball. 2022. Extracting “legacy loci” from an invertebrate sequence capture dataset. Zoologica Scripta 51: 14-31.
5. Forthman, M., Braun, E.L., & R.T. Kimball. 2022. Gene tree quality affects empirical coalescent branch length estimation. Zoologica Scripta 51: 1-13.
6. Forthman, M., & H.R. Gil-Santana. 2021. Two new species of Rhiginia Stål, 1859, with taxonomical notes on species in the “cruciata-group” of this genus and an updated key to the New World genera of Ectrichodiinae (Heteroptera, Reduviidae). Zootaxa 4952: 201-234.
7. Forthman, M. 2021. Two new species of Abelocephala (Heteroptera: Reduviidae) from Taiwan. Zootaxa 4920: 278-286.
8. Forthman, M., Miller, C.W., & R.T. Kimball. 2020. Phylogenomics of the leaf-footed bug subfamily Coreinae (Hemiptera: Coreidae). Insect Systematics and Diversity 4: 2.
9. Emberts, Z., St. Mary, C.M., Howard, C.C., Forthman, M., Bateman, P.W., Somjee, U., Hwang, W.S., Li, D., Kimball, R.T., & C.W. Miller, C.W. 2020. The evolution of autotomy in leaf-footed bugs. Evolution 74: 897-910.
10. Matzinger, E.E., & M. Forthman. 2019. Identification key to the genera of the tribe Gonocerini (Insecta: Hemiptera: Coreidae). University of Florida Journal of Undergraduate Research 21: 1-7.
11. Forthman, M., Miller, C.W., & R.T. Kimball. 2019. Phylogenomic analysis suggests Coreidae and Alydidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) are not monophyletic. Zoologica Scripta 48: 520-534.
12. Kieran, T.J., Gordon, E., Forthman, M., Hoey-Chamberlain, R., Kimball, R.T., Faircloth, B.C., Weirauch, C., & T.C. Glenn. 2019. Insights from an ultraconserved element bait set designed for hemipteran phylogenetics integrated with genomic resources. Molecular Phylogenetics
13. Chen, D., Braun, E.L., Forthman, M., Kimball, R.T., & Z. Zhang. 2018. A simple strategy for recovering ultraconserved elements, exons, and introns from low coverage shotgun sequencing of museum specimens: placement of the partridge genus Tropicoperdix within the Galliforme
14. Forthman, M., & C. Weirauch. 2018. Phylogenetic comparative analysis supports aposematic colouration–body size association in millipede assassins (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Ectrichodiinae). Journal of Evolutionary Biology 31: 1071-1078.
15. Forthman, M., & C. Weirauch. 2017. Millipede assassins and allies (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Ectrichodiinae, Tribelocephalinae): total evidence phylogeny, revised classification and evolution of sexual dimorphism. Systematic Entomology 42: 575-595.
16. Weirauch, C., Forthman, M., Grebenikov, V., & P. Baňař. 2017 From Eastern Arc Mountains to extreme sexual dimorphism: systematics of the enigmatic assassin bug genus Xenocaucus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Tribelocephalinae). Organisms Diversity and Evolution 17: 421-445.
17. Forthman, M., & C. Weirauch. 2016. Phylogenetics and biogeography of the endemic Madagascan millipede assassin bugs (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Ectrichodiinae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 100: 219-233.
18. Forthman, M., Chłond, D., & C. Weirauch. 2016. Taxonomic monograph of the endemic millipede assassin bug fauna of Madagascar (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Ectrichodiinae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 400: 1-152.
19. Zhang, J., Gordon, E., Forthman, M., Hwang, W.S., Walden, K., Swanson, D., Johnson, K.P., Meier, R., & C. Weirauch. 2016. Evolution of the assassin’s arms: insights from a phylogeny of combined transcriptomic and ribosomal DNA data (Heteroptera: Reduvioidea). Scientific Re
20. Weirauch, C., Berenger, J.M., Berniker, L., Forero, D., Forthman, M., Frankenberg, S., Freedman, A., Gordon, E., Hoey-Chamberlain, R., Hwang, W.S., Michael, A., Udah, O., Watson, C., Zhang, G., & J. Zhang. 2014. An illustrated identification key to assassin bug subfamilies
21. Forthman, M., & C. Weirauch. 2016. Toxic associations: a review of the predatory behaviors of millipede assassin bugs (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Ectrichodiinae). European Journal of Entomology 109: 147-153.

Grants

• 2020, NSF, Research Experience for Undergraduates Supplement for grant IOS-1553100, proposal writer (with PI Christine W. Miller), $19,762, “Reproductive trade-offs between costly sexually selected weapons and other expensive tissues in three species of Coreoidea (Insecta: Hemiptera)”
• 2014, Research Support Grant, Dissertation Year Program Award, University of California, Riverside, $7,200
• 2014, Conference Travel Grant, Nils & Annemarie Møller-Andersen Award, International Heteropterists’ Society, $650
• 2013, Research and Travel Grant, Earle C. Anthony Graduate Student Travel Award, University of California, Riverside, $500
• 2013, Research Support Grant, Graduate Dean’s Dissertation Research Grant, University of California, Riverside, $650
• 2012, Research and Travel Grant, Entomological Society of America, SysEB Travel Award, $1,900
      

Field Collecting Expeditions

• Cameroon (2013)
• Costa Rica (2010)
• Eswatini (2018)
• Honduras (2013)
• South Africa (2018)
• South Korea (2012)
• United States: Arkansas, California, Florida, Virginia, Wisconsin

Invited Presentations

• Forthman, M., Downie, C. Miller, C.W., & R.T. Kimball. 2022. What’s the buzz? Surveying a stridulatory mechanism in “Coreidae” with consideration of recent phylogenomic results. [“True Bug Tuesday” virtual event, International Heteropterists’ Society]
• Forthman, M. 2018. Legging across Southern Africa. [Friends of the Entomology Research Museum, University of California, Riverside]
• Miller, C.W., Cirino, L.A., & M. Forthman (Co-Presented). 2017. Fusing research and education through classroom undergraduate research experiences. [Fusing Research and Teaching Conference, University of Florida, Gainesville]
• Carlson, P., Cirino, L.A., Forthman, M., Joseph, P., & U. Somjee (Co-Presented). 2017. Science communication: how to effectively communicate your science. [Department of Entomology and Nematology Seminar, University of Florida, Gainesville]
• Forthman, M., & C. Weirauch. 2016. Millipede assassin bugs (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Ectrichodiinae) show off: evolution of aposematic coloration and extreme sexual dimorphism. [International Congress of Entomology XXV, Orlando, Florida]
• Forthman, M., & C. Weirauch. 2012. Madagascar’s millipede assassin bugs (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Ectrichodiinae): a treasure trove of diversity. [Heteroptera Symposium, 60th Entomological Society of America Meeting, Knoxville, Tennessee]
• Forthman, M. 2011. A predator-prey relationship: Ectrichodiinae and Diplopoda. [2nd International Reduviid Workshop, University of California, Riverside]

Professional Presentations

• Forthman, M., Miller, C.W., & R.T. Kimball. 2022. Phylogenomic analysis suggests evolutionary convergence of male weapon traits in leaf-footed bugs and allies (Heteroptera: Coreoidea). [7th Quadrennial Meeting of the International Heteropterists’ Society, Barcelona, Spain]
• Greenway, G., & M. Forthman (Co-Presented). 2019. The power of virtual exchange: connecting your classroom to the outside world. [Teaching Enhancement Symposium, University of Florida, Gainesville]
• Forthman, M., Miller, C.W., & R.T. Kimball. 2018. Phylogenomic analysis of the Coreoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) demonstrates non-monophyly of the families Coreidae and Alydidae. [6th Quadrennial Meeting of the International Heteropterists’ Society, La Plata, Argentina]
• Donnelly, A., Forthman, M., & J. Drew (Co-Presented). 2018. Course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) initiative. [Teaching Enhancement Symposium, University of Florida, Gainesville]
• Forthman, M., & C. Weirauch. 2015. Showing off: investigating the evolution of aposematism and sexual dimorphism in millipede assassin bugs (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Ectrichodiinae). [63rd Entomological Society of America Meeting, Minneapolis, Minnesota]
• Forthman, M., & C. Weirauch. 2014. The systematics of the endemic millipede assassin bugs of Madagascar (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Ectrichodiinae). [5th Quadrennial Meeting of the International Heteropterists’ Society, Washington, DC]
• Forthman, M., & C. Weirauch. 2013. Fragments of time: divergence dating and biogeographic history of Malagasy millipede assassin bugs. [61st Entomological Society of America Meeting, Austin, Texas]
• Forthman, M., & C. Weirauch. 2011. Madagascar’s millipede assassin bugs (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Ectrichodiinae): taxonomy, phylogenetics, and sexual dimorphism. [59th Entomological Society of America Meeting, Reno, Nevada]