About Me
I am currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Zoology and Entomology at Rhodes University in South Africa, and am part of the Centre for Biological Control research group.
I enjoy working on projects that involve answering phylogenetic and evolutionary questions, and I particularly love writing my own code and creating user-friendly applications.
📌 Please check out the tutorials I have created that cover how to run a variety of phylogenetic analyses, from sequence alignments to tree-building.
My blog covers all kinds of odds and ends that I find interesting; mostly snippets of code that can help with phylogenetic data preparation.
Please get in touch with me if you would like to collaborate on a project!
Current work
- RADseq population genetic work, focusing on the native South African crystalline ice plant (Cryophytum crystallinum) that is invasive in the USA.
- A genetic investigation of the native stem-boring Tetramesa wasps in South Africa: identifying potential biological control agents of invasive grasses.
- Species distribution modelling for the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) - a risk assessment for South Africa. A collaboration with Evans Mauda and Wayne Kirkman at Citrus Research International (CRI)
List of publications (see the Publications tab for more details)
🧬 In Preparation
Martin, G., Canavan, K., van Steenderen, C.J.M., Zachariades, C., Sutton, G.F., Sochor, M., & Mason, B. Assessing the feasibility of biological control for Rubus sect. Cuneifolii and R. sect. Arguti, in South Africa.
van Steenderen, C.J.M., Sandenbergh, E., & Paterson, I.D. Population genetics reveals insights into Ice Plant (Cryophytum) biogeography in South Africa.
Mutamiswa, R., Tanka, D.V., van Steenderen, C.J.M., Coombes, C.A., Moore, S.D., & Hill, M.P. Predicting the potential distribution of mealybugs of citrus in Africa: implications on sustainable citrus production under shifting environments.
🧪 Under Review
Jones, C., van Steenderen, C.J.M., Baider, C., Sutton, G.F., Mauremootoo, J., Miller, J., Cole, N., Ivey, P., Kaudeer, S., Pagad, S., Pandoo, V.S., & Tatayah, V. A Watch List to protect an island biodiversity hotspot from invasion: Republic of Mauritius. Neobiota. Under Review.
van Steenderen, C.J.M., Sandenbergh, E., Brookes, D., Moran, P., & Paterson, I.D. 2025. Population genetics elucidates invasion pathways and informs biocontrol strategies for the Crystalline Ice Plant (Cryophytum crystallinum) in North America. Ecology and Evolution. Under Review.
Cuthbert, R., Baso, N., Chikodza, T., ..., van Steenderen, C.J.M., et al. 2025. Parallel concepts and future opportunities between biological control and invasion sciences. BioScience. Under Review.
Kgatla, M.M., Barker, C., Baxter, J.R., ..., van Steenderen, C.J.M., et al. 2025. Overview of DNA barcoding of biodiversity in South Africa. PLOS One. Under Review.
📘 2025
Ivey, P.J., Faulkner, K.T., Miller, J., & van Steenderen, C.J.M. 2025. Dealing with data overload: introducing WatchlistR, a tool for developing watch-lists of invasive species to inform biosecurity decision making. Neobiota. In Press.
van Steenderen, C.J.M., Sandenbergh, E., Brookes, D., Moran, P., & Paterson, I.D. 2025. Population genetics reveals the invasion pathways of Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum in North America. Ecology and Evolution 15(10): e72262. doi: 10.1002/ece3.72262.
van Steenderen, C.J.M., Sutton, G.F., Yell, L.D., Canavan, K., & Paterson, I.D. 2025. Species delimitation and molecular dating of southern African Tetramesa Walker (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae): an understudied microhymenopteran group. Austral Entomology 64(2): e70006. doi: 10.1111/aen.70006.
Kolesik, P., Sutton, G.F., van Steenderen, C.J.M., Martin, D., Plowes, R., & Paterson, I.D. 2025. A new genus and two new species of gall midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) feeding on Guinea grass Megathyrsus maximus (Poaceae) in Africa. Austral Entomology 64(1): e12719. doi: 10.1111/aen.12719.
📗 2024
van Steenderen, C.J.M., & Sutton, G.F. 2024. Climate predictor selection influences MaxEnt model performance and predictions of current and future climatic suitability. Ecological Modelling 498:110872. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2024.110872.
van Steenderen, C.J.M., Mauda, E.V., Kirkman, W., Faulkner, K.T., & Sutton, G.F. 2024. The Asian Citrus Psyllid (Diaphorina citri Kuwayama) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) in Africa: using species distribution models to predict current and future climatic suitability, with a focus on potential invasion routes. African Entomology 32. doi: 10.17159/2254-8854/2024/a18476.
Yell, L.D., Sutton, G.F., van Steenderen, C.J.M., Canavan, K., McConnachie, A., & Paterson, I.D. 2024. Field-based surveys and laboratory tests indicate that candidate biocontrol agents for African lovegrass from South Africa are not suitable for release in Australia. Biocontrol Science and Technology 34:203–224. doi: 10.1080/09583157.2024.2317135.
van Steenderen, C.J.M, Sutton, G.F., Yell, L.D., Canavan, K., McConnachie, A., Day, M.D., & Paterson, I.D. 2024. Phylogenetic analyses reveal multiple new stem-boring Tetramesa (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae) taxa: implications for the biological control of invasive African grasses. BioControl 68:697–708. doi: 10.1007/s10526-023-10231-4.
📙 2023
van Steenderen, C.J.M., Pringle, E.L., & Villet, M.H. 2023. Historical diversification of Pseudonympha Wallengren, 1857 (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae). Journal of Natural History 57(29–32): 1444–1463. doi: 10.1080/00222933.2023.2257373.
van Steenderen, C.J.M., Owen, C.A., Sutton, G.F., Martin, G.D., & Coetzee, J.A. 2023. Sample size assessments for thermal physiology studies: an R package and R Shiny GUI. Physiological Entomology. doi: 10.1111/phen.12416.
Sutton, G.F., van Steenderen, C.J.M., Yell, L.D., Canavan, K., McConnachie, A., & Paterson, I.D. 2023. First record of an African grass-feeding wasp (Tetramesa; Eurytomidae) on the invasive grass Eragrostis curvula (African lovegrass; Poaceae) in Australia. BioInvasions Records 12(3): 673–680. doi: 10.3391/bir.2023.12.3.05.
📒 2022
van Steenderen, C.J.M. 2022. BinMat: a molecular genetics tool for processing binary data obtained from fragment analysis in R. Biodiversity Data Journal 10:e77875. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.10.e77875.
van Steenderen, C.J.M., & Sutton, G.F. 2022. SPEDE-sampler: an R Shiny application to assess how methodological choices and taxon-sampling can affect Generalised Mixed Yule Coalescent (GMYC) output and interpretation. Molecular Ecology Resources 22(5): 2054–2069. doi: 10.1111/1755-0998.13591.
📕 2021
van Steenderen, C.J.M., Paterson, I.P., Edwards, S., & Day, M.D. 2021. Addressing the red flags in cochineal identification: the use of molecular techniques to identify cochineal insects that are used as biological control agents for invasive alien cacti. Biological Control. doi: 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2020.104426.