Catalina Romero-Ortiz

Catalina, a Colombian biologist, is driven by her passion to uncover the true diversity of Pseudoscorpiones in the Neotropics. Her research is dedicated to evaluating the effectiveness of taxonomic characteristics in species delimitation and delving into the morphology of pseudoscorpion genitalia for taxonomic and systematic purposes. Additionally, she seeks to identify novel traits that can shed light on the intricate nature of species within this arachnid group. Having previously served as an assistant curator of the largest Arachnida collection in Colombia, Catalina consistently emphasizes the pivotal role of biological collections in advancing biodiversity knowledge. Her forthcoming work at MCZ will employ an integrative approach, incorporating both molecular and morphological data, to review and describe new species predominantly found in leaf litter habitats. This comprehensive investigation will draw upon specimens from the MCZ as well as newly collected material primarily sourced from regions spanning Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.