I am a Ph.D. student working on the systematics and historical biogeography of the damselfly superfamily Lestoidea.
Keywords
Odonata, systematics, taxonomy, biogeography
Orcid IDResearchinterest
Promoting interest in Odonata is critical in raising awareness for freshwater, which is life’s most precious resource, the essence of a changing climate, and indeed the environment where most species are threatened with extinction.
Species of the order Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) are among the most popular insects with the public and in environmental monitoring and conservation practice. Popularizing Odonata and their use in bio-monitoring requires reliable species identification and stable nomenclature and classifications.
Recent molecular and morphological studies agree in the position of Lestoidea as the sister group of all other damselflies, however, they do not agree in the relationships between and within its four accepted families, while none of the genera has ever been revised. The heterogeneous and cosmopolitan genus Lestes, in particular, requires renewed study, being among the largest in the order with 83 species.
Currenttopics
Diversity of Odonata in Mexico, in collaboration with Mexican researchers from the UNAM and INECOL.
IUCN Red List for all Odonata species occurring from Mexico to Argentina, collaborating with a team of specialists from five Latin American countries plus Spain and USA.