September 2026
K. Samanta Orellana Arévalo > Other Awards
The project, “Increasing Open Biodiversity Information in Central America Through a Network of Digitized Scientific Collections,” will sponsor a new Symbiota portal and provide personalized training for local researchers to expand capacity for the mobilization of biodiversity information in the region. The project is funded by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and the European Union through the Biodiversity Information for Development (BID) program for Latin America and the Caribbean.
August 2016
K. Samanta Orellana Arévalo > Other Awards
In Region Scholarship for Masters Studies 2016-2018, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
Full Member
Dr. K. Samanta Orellana Arévalo
Membership since:
2020
Field of activity:
About me
I am a Guatemalan biologist and entomologist, specialized in natural history collections and biodiversity data. As a member of the Symbiota Support Hub and the GBIF Network, I have facilitated the digitization and mobilization of more than 50 biodiversity collections in Latin America. To this end, I manage the Guatemala Biodiversity Portal (https://biodiversidad.gt) and the Central American Collections Portal (https://centroamerica.symbiota.org). Currently, I am appointed as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute. More information on my website (https://samantaorellana.github.io).
Other Memberships/Affiliations
Symbiota Support Hub
The Coleopterists Society
Colegio Profesional de Farmacéuticos y Químicos de Guatemala
Degrees:
2018
Master
Biological Systems and Organisms
2014
Undergraduate
Biological Systems and Organisms
2024
Doctorate
Biological Systems and Organisms
Publications resulting from Research
Castillo-Cabrera FJ, [et al.] & 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, [et. al. ] Orellana, KS. (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 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, et al. (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).
Orellana KS & 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. doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4904.1
McKenna DD, [et. al. ] Orellana, KS. (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 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, et al. (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).
Orellana KS & 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. doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4904.1
Living Data
2026
Bogota, Colombia
Five Years of the Guatemala Biodiversity Portal: Increasing Capacities for the Mobilization of Natural History Collections Using Symbiota
Living Data
2026
Bogota, Colombia
Use of Symbiota Portals to Integrate Biodiversity Information in Latin America
Workshop
2026
Lima, Peru
Introduction to Symbiota: A Tool for the Management, Mobilization, and Exploration of Biodiversity Data
Workshop
2026
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Guatemala Biodiversity Portal Curators Training
Entomological Collections Network Annual Meeting
2026
Maryland, USA
Bilingual Tools to Increase Digital Representation of Latin American Collections and Entomologists.
Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America
2026
Florida, USA
Current studies on Central American Anthribidae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea): The impressive diversity of fungus weevils in Panama
Entomological Collections Network Annual Meeting
2026
Florida, USA
Promoting the digitization of Latin American entomological collections using Symbiota portals. For the Equity, Justice and Inclusion in Ento: Making Entomological Collections Research more Accessible Mini Symposium.
Primera Reunión Virtual de la Sociedad Mesoamericana para la Biología y la Conservación
2026
Mexico (virtual)
Digitalización de Colecciones Biológicas Mesoamericanas con los Portales Symbiota