Samanta Orellana, PhD

Fungus weevils, collections & biodiversity data

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ORCID ResearchGate Bionomia

SOhome

Research Interests

  • Taxonomy and systematics of fungus weevils (Coleoptera: Anthribidae).
  • Entomological collections management and digitization.
  • Biodiversity data accessibility for research, education and outreach.

Education

  • Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America (2024).
  • M.Sc. in Entomology, Universidad de Panama, Panama City, Panama (2018).
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Entomology, Universidad de Panama, Panama City, Panama (2017).
  • B.Sc. in Biology, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala (2014).

Professional Experience

  • Postdoctoral Researcher, Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America (2025-present)

  • Teaching Assistant. General Biology, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University. Tempe, Arizona, USA (2021-2024).

  • Research Assistant. ASU Biocollections, Biodiversity Knowledge Integration Center, Arizona State University. Tempe, Arizona, USA (2019-2021).

  • Research and Collection Management Assistant. BIGU Herbarium Research Unit, School of Biology, Universidad de San Carlos Guatemala, Guatemala. (2015).

  • Private Environmental Consultant. Environmental and Biological Studies of Guatemala, National Association of Private Natural Reserves in Guatemala, National Association of Coffee-Farmers, among others. Guatemala City, Guatemala. (2014-2016).

Service

Mentorships

  • Project BID-REG2025-081: Increasing Open Biodiversity Information in Central America Through a Network of Digitized Scientific Collections. Biodiversity Data for Development Fund, European Union and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Digitization and mobilization of 25 natural history collections in Central America. University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Symbiota, in collaboration with University of San Carlos of Guatemala, University of El Salvador, and University of Costa Rica. Mentor and project coordinator. (2026-2028)

  • MS. in Museum Studies Capstone Project. Digitizing and Publishing Naupactini Weevil Specimen Data and Images Based on a Modern Insect Research Collection Workflow (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Omotayo Agunbiade. Museum Studies, University of Kansas. Co-chair. (2025-2026)

  • Project BID-CA2020-031-NAC: Mobilizing natural history collections of the Dominican Republic. Biodiversity Data for Development Fund, European Union and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Digitization and mobilization of 12 natural history collections in the Dominican Republic. Arizona State University and Symbiota, in collaboration with Zoology and Botany Research Institute, Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. (2021-2023)

Awards and Honors

  • Elected Student Councilor. The Coleopterists Society. (2024-2025)
  • Full Scholarship for Master’s Degree Studies. Central American Regional Program, German Academic Exchange Service -DAAD- (2016-2018).
  • Research Incentives Award. Research Directorate, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala. (2016)
  • Best Biology B.Sc. Thesis 2014-2015. Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala. (2015)

Publications

Research Papers

  • Castillo-Cabrera FJ, Roldán RA, Barrios M, Burgos-Barrios CL, Grajeda AL, García MJ, Cruz H, Morales-Mérida JR, Tenez D, Vásquez M, Agreda EO, Velásquez I, Eufragio A, Barahona-Fong R, Yurrita CL, Orellana KS. (2025). Contribution to the knowledge of urban biodiversity in Central America: A checklist to the species of Guatemala City. Neotropical Biology and Conservation 20(1): 59-66. https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.20.e135435

  • McKenna DD, Oberprieler RG, Marvaldi AE, Brown SDJ, Charles M, Medeiros BAS, Farrell BD, Leschen RAB, Mermudes JRM, Orellana KS, Shin S, Stals R, Li X. (2025). Unraveling the evolution of mycetophagy and phytophagy in fungus weevils (Curculionoidea: Anthribidae): Phylogenomic insights into Anthribinae paraphyly and tribal non-monophyly. Systematic Entomology, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12674

  • Orellana KS, Girón J. (2024). State of the State of knowledge of the Anthribidae (Insecta: Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) in Colombia with a key to genera. Biota Colombiana, 25, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.21068/2539200X.1149

  • Orellana 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://www.mapress.com/zt/issue/view/zootaxa.4904.1

  • 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.

  • Orellana S, Quezada M. 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 Lachuá, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala). Revista Científica 25(1): 37-48.

Books and Chapters

  • Orellana KS, Franz NM. (2023). Checklist of the Anthribidae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) of Guatemala, including new country records and a key to genera. In: Yoshimoto J, Schuster J, Monzón J. (Eds.) Biodiversidad de Guatemala. Vol. 3. Universidad del Valle de Guatemala: Guatemala. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10424024 (Book Chapter)

  • Orellana KS, López ZM, Yoshimoto J, Quezada M, Prado L, Ambrocio AL, Dávila L, Barrios-Izás M, Bustamante M, Franz NM, Gilbert E. (2023). Digitalización de Colecciones Biológicas en el Portal Symbiota de Biodiversidad de Guatemala (Digitization of Natural History Collections in the Guatemala Biodiversity Symbiota Portal). In: Yoshimoto J, Schuster J & Monzón J. (Eds.) Biodiversidad de Guatemala. Vol. 3. Universidad del Valle de Guatemala: Guatemala. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10424127 (Book Chapter)

  • Yoshimoto J, Cano EB, Orellana S. (Editors). (2023). Insectos de Guatemala: Guía de Identificación (Insects of Guatemala: Identification Guide). Third Edition. Guatemala: Universidad Del Valle de Guatemala and Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. (Book).

  • Yoshimoto J, Cano EB, Orellana S. (Editors). (2018). Insectos de Guatemala: Guía de Identificación (Insects of Guatemala: Identification Guide). Second Edition. Guatemala: Universidad Del Valle de Guatemala and Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. (Book).

  • Yoshimoto J, Cano EB, Orellana S. (Editors). (2015). Insectos de Guatemala: Guía de Identificación (Insects of Guatemala: Identification Guide). Guatemala: Universidad Del Valle de Guatemala and Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. (Book).

Published Abstracts (* Presenting author)

  • Orellana KS*, López ZM, Quezada ML, Yoshimoto J, Prado LM, Ambrocio A, Franz N, Gilbert E (2025) Five Years of the Guatemala Biodiversity Portal: Increasing Capacities for the Mobilization of Natural History Collections Using Symbiota. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards 9: e178671. https://doi.org/10.3897/biss.9.178671

  • Orellana KS*, López ZM, Quezada ML, Yoshimoto J, Prado LM, Ambrocio A, Franz N, Gilbert E (2025) Five Years of the Guatemala Biodiversity Portal: Increasing Capacities for the Mobilization of Natural History Collections Using Symbiota. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards 9: e178671. https://doi.org/10.3897/biss.9.178671

  • Orellana KS*, Gilbert E, Pearson K, Post G, Fisher M, Franz N (2025) Use of Symbiota Portals to Integrate Biodiversity Information in Latin America. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards 9: e177303. https://doi.org/10.3897/biss.9.177303

  • Orellana KS*, López ZM, Yoshimoto J, Quezada ML, Prado LM, Ambrocio AL, Barrios-Izás MA, Jiménez RA, García P, Post G, Franz N, Gilbert E. (2024). Advances in the Digitization and Mobilization of Natural History Collections in Guatemala. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards 8: e134288. https://doi.org/10.3897/biss.8.134288.

  • Castillo-Cabrera FJ, Roldán RA, Barrios MV, Burgos-Barrios CL, Grajeda AL, García MJ, Cruz H, Morales-Mérida JR, Tenez ED, Vásquez M, Agreda EO, Velásquez I, Eufragio A, Barahona-Fong R, Yurrita CL, Orellana KS*. (2024). Interactive Checklists to Increase Access to Urban Biodiversity Information in Guatemala. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards 8:e137732. https://doi.org/10.3897/biss.8.137732.

  • Orellana KS*, Gilbert E, Walker LJ, Pearson K, Prado LR, 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 LJ, Yost JM. (2022). Leveraging the Symbiota Support Hub for Biodiversity Data Mobilization. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 6, e93893. https://doi.org/10.3897/biss.6.93893

  • Pearson K, Gilbert E, Orellana KS, Post G, Walker L, Yost J, Franz N. (2022). Growth and Evolution of the Symbiota Portal Network. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 6,e112028. https://doi.org/10.3897/biss.7.112028.

  • Gilbert E, Sterner B, Fisher MA, Orellana KS, Pearson K, Post G, Walker J, Wilt L, Yost JM, Franz N. (2022). Symbiota Integrations: Exploration of Historical and Current Methods of Data Sharing Across a Decentralized Portal Network and Goals of Extending Interoperability Globally. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 6, e111680. https://doi.org/10.3897/biss.7.111680.

Conference Presentations (* Presenting author)

  • Orellana KS*, Franz N, Gilbert E, Freire-Fierro A. (2025). Digitization of Latin American Herbaria with Symbiota (in Spanish). Latin American Botanical Congress. La Habana, Cuba (virtual).

  • Orellana KS*. (2024). Improving Accessibility of Entomological Collections for the Study of Neotropical Anthribidae. Entomological Collections Network Annual Meeting. Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

  • Orellana KS*, López ZM, Gilbert E, Franz N. (2024). Enabling Biodiversity Research in Guatemala with a Customized Symbiota Portal. Digital Data Conference, iDigBio and Natural Science Collections Alliance, hosted by Kansas University. Lawrence, Kansas, USA.

  • Orellana KS*. (2024). Generating an Illustrated Catalog of Anthribidae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) with TaxonWorks and TaxonPages. TaxonWorks Together 2024 (virtual).

  • Orellana KS*, Gilbert E, Franz NM. (2023). Bilingual Tools to Increase Digital Representation of Latin American Collections and Entomologists. Entomological Collections Network Annual Meeting. National Harbor, Maryland, USA.

  • Johnston A, Girón J, Orellana KS, Seltmann KC, Walker LJ, Lee S. (2023). Ecdysis, an emerging community resource for digital specimen data and research. Entomological Collections Network Annual Meeting. National Harbor, Maryland, USA.

  • Orellana KS*, Mermudes JRM, Franz N. (2023). Advances in the Study of Central American Anthribidae. Online Weevil Workers Meeting, Texas Tech University, United States Department of Agriculture, Canadian Museum of Nature (virtual).

  • Yost J, Orellana KS*. (2023). Communities of Practice Across the Americas. Digital Data Conference, iDigBio and Natural Science Collections Alliance, hosted by Arizona State University. Tempe, Arizona, USA.

  • Orellana KS*. (2022). The O’Brien Collection, a valuable resource for the study of Anthribidae. Online Weevil Workers Meeting, Texas Tech University, United States Department of Agriculture, Canadian Museum of Nature (virtual).

  • Orellana KS*. (2022). Symbiota Portals as Digitization Tools for Herbarium Collections (in Spanish). II Simposio de Botánica de Guatemala, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (virtual).

  • Orellana KS*. (2022). Engaging underrepresented communities with Symbiota portals: The case of Guatemala. Digital Data Conference, iDigBio and Natural Science Collections Alliance, hosted by the Field Museum (virtual).

  • Gilbert E, Orellana KS, Pearson K, Post G, Rocha Prado L, Yost J, Sterner B, Franz N. (2022). Using Symbiota to establish a global, decentralized model for data aggregation: Novel concepts and designs to improve the interoperability of occurrence-based biodiversity data. Conference of the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections. Edinburg (virtual).

  • Pearson K, Franz N, Gilbert E, Orellana KS, Post G, Rocha Prado L, Yost J. (2022). New Symbiota Features to Support Digital and Extended Specimen Data. Conference of the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections. Edinburg (virtual).

  • Rocha Prado L, Gilbert E, Franz N, Orellana KS, Pearson K, Post G, Yost J. (2022). Identifiers and labels for everyone: Recent developments in Symbiota. Conference of the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections. Edinburg (virtual).

  • Orellana KS*. (2020). Current studies on Central American Anthribidae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea): The impressive diversity of fungus weevils in Panama. Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting (virtual).

  • Orellana KS*. (2020). 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).

  • Orellana KS*. (2020). Digitization of Mesoamerican Biological Collections using Symbiota portals (In Spanish). Mesoamerican Society of Biology and Conservation, I Virtual Meeting (virtual).

  • Orellana KS*. (2020). Collection-based research: Discovering the Neotropical Anthribidae. II Symposium of Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Arizona (virtual).

  • Orellana KS*. (2019). Research experiences in Central America: Tropical forests, beetles and collections. II Symposium of Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Arizona.

  • Orellana KS*. (2019). New country records and range extensions for the Anthribidae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) of Panama (in Spanish). III Colloquium of Biology. Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala.

  • Orellana KS*. (2019). Effect of landscape conformation on the coleopterans (Insecta: Coleoptera) associated with fungi of the Lachua Ecoregion , Alta Verapaz, Guatemala (in Spanish). Annual Scientific Meeting of the Chemical and Biological Research Institute. Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Poster Presentations

  • Walker L, Fisher M, Franz N, Gilbert E, Pearson K, Post G, Orellana S, Yost J. (2023). Symbiota. iDigBio’s Digital Data in Biodiversity Research Conference, Tempe, AZ.

  • Gilbert E, Pearson K, Post G, Rocha Prado L, Orellana KS, Walker L, Yost J, Franz N. (2021). The state of the Symbiota Portals: Gateways to digital management and discovery”. Conference of the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections. Edinburg.

  • Quezada M, Perez-Silva E, Orellana KS. (2014). Coleoptera associated to Marasmiaceae and Polyporaceae fungi in the Lachua rainforest in Guatemala (In Spanish). International Mycological Association, VIII Latin American Congress of Mycology, Medellín, Colombia.

Scientific Outreach

Organized Workshops

  • Symbiota Portals for the Digitization of Herbaria (in Spanish). Co-organizer. University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute, Yale Peabody Museum, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú. October 2025.

  • Advanced Tools for the Management of Scientific Collections in the Guatemala Biodiversity Portal (in Spanish). Organizer and instructor. University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala. June 2025.

  • Introduction to the Guatemala Biodiversity Portal. Co-organizer and instructor. Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala. June 2025.

  • Interactive Tools for the Study of Guatemalan Biodiversity (virtual, in Spanish). September 2023. Organizer and instructor. Symbiota Support Hub, Arizona State University.

  • A Guided Tour of the Guatemala Biodiversity Portal (virtual, in Spanish). March 2023. Organizer and instructor. Symbiota Support Hub, Arizona State University.

  • Natural History Collections Digitization and Mobilization with Symbiota Portals: Mexican Herbaria Network (virtual, in Spanish). November 2022. Co-organizer and instructor. Mexican Herbaria Network and Arizona State University.

  • Natural History Collections Digitization and Mobilization with Symbiota Portals (virtual, in Spanish). September 2022. Organizer and instructor. Symbiota Support Hub, Arizona State University.

  • Digitization of Natural History Collections in the Guatemala Biodiversity Symbiota Portal (virtual, in Spanish). August 2022. Organizer and instructor. Symbiota Support Hub, Arizona State University.

  • Introduction to Symbiota databases platform: Consortium of Small Vertebrate Collection (virtual, in Spanish). August 2020. Organizer and instructor. Biological Collections System of the School of Biology, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala.

  • Introduction to Symbiota databases platform: ecdysis (virtual, in Spanish). July 2020. Organizer and instructor. Universidad del Valle de Guatemala.

Invited Presentations

  • Anthribidae of North America. For the Weevil Course & Roundup Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Museum of Texas Tech University, Canadian Museum of Nature. Southwestern Research Station, Arizona, USA September 2025.

  • Systematics of Neotropical Anthribidae: Contributions from entomological collections (in Spanish). Centro de Investigación en Protección de Cultivos, Museo de Insectos, Universidad de Costa Rica. San José, Costa Rica. July 2025.

  • Importance of Natural History Collections for the Study of Biodiversity (virtual, in Spanish). School of Agricultural Sciences, Universidad Rafael Landívar. Guest speaker for the undergraduate Botany course. July 2021.

  • Introduction to Coleoptera (virtual, in Spanish). Undergraduate Entomology Course, Universidad de Costa Rica, Campus Guanacaste. November 2020.

  • Taxonomy of Anthribidae (virtual, in Spanish). Undergraduate Taxonomy course, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. August 2020.

  • Relevance of Entomological Collections in the Study of Biodiversity: Research Experiences in North and Central America (in Spanish). Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. March 2020.

Online Resources

Complementary Training

  • Global Nodes Training. Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Bogota, Colombia (2025).

  • Entomological Collection Management Workshop. Entomological Collection Network and Arizona State University, Arizona, USA (2022).

  • Tenebrionidae Identification and Classification Virtual Workshop. Arizona State University, Arizona, USA. (2021)

  • Digitization Academy: Introduction to Biodiversity Specimen Digitization. iDigBio, University of Florida, Florida State University and Florida Museum. Virtual. (2018)

  • Introduction to Molecular Biology Techniques Workshop. Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. Guatemala City, Guatemala. (2018)

  • Use of Leica M205A Stereomicroscope and Imaging Software (Workshop). University of Panama, Panama City, Panama. (2018)

  • Identification of the Main Species of Scale Insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) of Agricultural Relevance (Course-Workshop). Universidad del Valle de Guatemala and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Guatemala City, Guatemala. (2015)

  • Zoological Nomenclature (Course). Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Autonomous National University of Mexico, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala and the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, Guatemala City, Guatemala. (2015)

  • Morphology and Identification of Hymenoptera, with emphasis on parasitoid wasps (Course). Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and University of Costa Rica, Guatemala City, Guatemala. (2013)

  • Spatial Analysis of Biodiversity, with Geographical Information Systems (Course). BIGU Herbarium Research Unit, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala. (2010) Introduction to Chrysomelidae (Coleoptera) Taxonomy (Course). Multidisciplinary Academic Unit of Agriculture and Sciences, Autonomous University of Tamaulipas, Tamaulipas, México. (2010)

Professional Memberships

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