Samanta Orellana Arevalo

PhD Student - Mentor: Nico Franz, PhD,

Evolutionary Biology PhD Students

Other ASU affiliations

PhD Student - Mentor: Nico Franz, PhD, School of Life Sciences

sorellana@asu.edu

Natural History Collections, Alameda Building AB 144 F1 Tempe, AZ 85282
Mail code: 4601

Campus: Tempe
‌

Student Information

Graduate Student
Evolutionary Biology
The College of Lib Arts & Sci

Long Bio

Guatemalan biologist and entomologist, interested in taxonomy, systematics and evolution of neotropical fungus weevils (Curculionoidea: Anthribidae). Currently pursuing a PhD in Evolutionary Biology at the School of Life Sciences of Arizona State University. Member of Dr. Nico Franz Lab and the ASU Biodiversity Knowledge Integration Center.

Research and scientific outreach profiles:

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4098-5823
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Samanta_Orellana
Twitter: https://twitter.com/coleopterasam
Bionomia: https://bionomia.net/0000-0002-4098-5823
GBIF: Samanta Orellana A. Collection
Insects of Guatemala: insectosdeguatemala.org
Guatemala Biodiversity Portal: serv.biokic.asu.edu/guatemala/

Education

Ph.D. Candidate, Evolutionary Biology, Arizona State University (2019-present)

MSc. in Entomology, University of Panama (2018)

BSc. in Biology, University of San Carlos of Guatemala (2014)

Curriculum Vitae

Images

Eugonus robustus Jordan (Anthribidae)

Panama

Fieldwork

Collection UCR

Video

Research Website URL

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4098-5823

Google Scholar URL

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=jmQP-9gAAAAJ&hl=es

Research Interests

My research focuses on the taxonomy, systematics and biodiversity of the family Anthribidae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea), commonly known as fungus weevils. My main interest is the neotropical Anthribidae fauna, but I am also interested in the evolution and biogeography of pantropical groups. I have previous publications about the diversity of fungivorous Coleoptera of Guatemalan and Panamanian tropical forests and, in 2015, I co-edited a field guide about the Insects of Guatemala (updated and reprinted in 2018). Due my research activities, I have experience on entomological field work and entomological collections management and digitization.

Publications

Orellana, K.S., Gilbert, E., Walker, L. J., Pearson, K., Prado, L. R., Post, G., Yost, J., & Franz,

N. (2022). Taxonomic Curation in a Multi-taxa Symbiota Portal. Biodiversity Information Science

and Standards, 6, e93671. https://doi.org/10.3897/biss.6.93671

Pearson, K., Gilbert, E., Franz, N., Orellana, S., Post, G., Rocha Prado, L., Walker, L. J., &

Yost, J. M. “Leveraging the Symbiota Support Hub for Biodiversity Data Mobilization”.

Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 6, e93893.

https://doi.org/10.3897/biss.6.93893

Orellana, K.S. & Barrios, H. (2021). Catalogue of the Anthribidae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) of Panama, including new country records and a key to genera. Zootaxa 4904 (1), 1-71. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4904.1.1

Orellana, S. & Barrios, H. (2018). Abundancia de Coleópteros (Insecta: Coleoptera) en dos órdenes de macrohongos (Basidiomycota) de un bosque tropical de Panamá. Scientia Panamá 28(1): 45-59. 10.5281/zenodo.3968793

Yoshimoto, J., Cano, E.B. & S. Orellana (Editors) (2018). “Insectos de Guatemala: Guía de Identificación (Insects of Guatemala: Identification Guide)”. Second Edition. Guatemala: University Del Valle of Guatemala, The Museum of Natural History and the Biology School of San Carlos of Guatemala University. (Book).

Orellana, S. & M. Quezada. (2015). “Efecto de la conformación del paisaje en coleópteros (Insecta: Coleoptera) asociados a macrohongos de la Ecorregión Lachuá, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala (Effect of landscape conformation on the coleopterans (Insecta: Coleoptera) associated with fungi of the Eco-region Lachua, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala)”. Revista Científica 25(1): 37-48. 10.5281/zenodo.3968462

Yoshimoto, J., Cano, E.B. & S. Orellana (Editors). (2015). “Insectos de Guatemala: Guía de Identificación (Insects of Guatemala: Identification Guide)”. Guatemala: University Del Valle of Guatemala and The Museum of Natural History of San Carlos of Guatemala University. (Book).

Courses

2024 Fall

Course Number	Course Title
BIO 182	General Biology II
BIO 182	General Biology II

2023 Spring

Course Number	Course Title
BIO 182	General Biology II
BIO 182	General Biology II

2022 Fall

Course Number	Course Title
BIO 182	General Biology II
BIO 182	General Biology II

2022 Spring

Course Number	Course Title
BIO 182	General Biology II
BIO 182	General Biology II

2021 Fall

Course Number	Course Title
BIO 181	General Biology I
BIO 181	General Biology I

Presentations

Orellana, K.S. "Digitization of biological collections using the Guatemala Biodiversity Portal" (in Spanish). Guest lecturer, School of Biology, University of San Carlos of Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala. February 2021.

Orellana, K.S. “Current studies on Central American Anthribidae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea): The impressive diversity of fungus weevils in Panama”. Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting (virtual). November 2020.

Orellana, K.S. “Promoting the digitization of Latin American entomological collections using Symbiota portals”. Equity, Justice and Inclusion in Ento: Making Entomological Collections Research more Accessible Mini Symposium. Entomological Collections Network Annual Meeting (virtual). October 2020.

Orellana, K.S. "Introduction to the Order Coleoptera". Guest lecturer, School of Agronomy, University of Costa Rica, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. October. 2020.

Orellana, K.S. “Digitization of Mesoamerican Biological Collections using Symbiota portals” (In Spanish). Mesoamerican Society of Biology and Conservation, I Virtual Meeting (virtual). October 2020.

Orellana, K.S. "Collection-based research: Discovering the Neotropical Anthribidae”. II Symposium of Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Arizona (virtual). August 2020.

Orellana, K.S. "Relevance of entomological collections in the study of biodiversity: Research experiences in North and Central America” (in Spanish). Guest lecturer, School of Biology, University of San Carlos of Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala. March 2020.

Orellana, K.S. “Research experiences in Central America: Tropical forests, beetles and collections”. II Symposium of Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Arizona. August 2019.

Orellana, K.S. “New country records and range extensions for the Anthribidae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) of Panama” (in Spanish). III Colloquium of Biology. University of The Valley of Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala. October 2018.

Orellana, K.S. “Effect of landscape conformation on the coleopterans (Insecta: Coleoptera) associated with fungi of the Eco-region Lachua, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala” (in Spanish). Annual Scientific Meeting of the Chemical and Biological Research Institute. Faculty of Pharmacy and Chemical Sciences, University of San Carlos of Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala. September 2015.

Service

I am constantly volunteering in education and outreach activities about entomology, natural history collections management, and digitization in several Latin American countries (including Guatemala, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and Dominican Republic). I currently co-manage the Guatemala Biodiversity Portal, a Symbiota collections management portal, created with the help of Edward Gilbert and Dr. Nico Franz, and hosted at the Biodiversity Knowledge Integration Center, at ASU.

In 2015, I co-edited and published a field guide about Insects of Guatemala, which has become an important resource for entomology students in Guatemala. Additionally, I manage a free website about Insects of Guatemala to facilitate the access to entomological information in the country for students, teachers and researchers.

Expertise Areas

Systematics and Taxonomy