Molecular Systematics Laboratories

Ligia Benavides:

Education:

B.S. National University of Colombia, Bogotá. Major: Biology, 2004.
Thesis Title: Comunidades de arañas asociadas al dosel de bosques de tierra firme e Igapó en la Estación Biológica Mosiro Itajura, Vaupes, Amazonia Colombiana (Canopy spiders communities from terra firme and Igapó forest in Mosiro Itajura Biological Station, Vaupés, Colombian Amazon).

 

Employment:

August 2006 – Present. American Museum of Natural History. Laboratory Technician for the project Assembling the tree of life: Phylogeny of Spiders, NSF Grant. High-throughput DNA isolation, amplification, sequencing and sequences edition for 6 ribosomal and nuclear protein coding genes of more than 2000 spiders and other arachnids.
2004-2005. National University of Colombia. Institute of Natural Sciences. Taxonomic determination at family level, classification and organization of several specimens in dry and wet in the arthropods collections.

 

Research Projects:

 

September 2005 - Present. Harvard University. Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology. Project Title: Phylogeny of South American Neogoveidae (Opiliones: Cyphophthalmi), using morphological and molecular data. 

During 10 months at Harvard University, under supervision of Dr. Gonzalo Giribet, I was trained in the following topics: 
Obtention of molecular data: I learnt the techniques used to obtain DNA sequences including DNA extraction, amplification and sequencing. I have generated sequences for the genes 18S, 28S, 12S, 16S, COI and H3 morphological data from several specimens of Cyphophthalmi.
Obtention of morphological data. I have generated pictures using the software Automontage. With these pictures I have generated a database of all Colombian Cyphophthalmi and other South American types. This work has served to complete the online Cyphophthalmi checklist developed in the Giribet Laboratory, and in the generation of an illustrated catalog of the South American Neogoveidae. In addition, using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), I have generated a database of images of the external structures of the species that I am studying.

Male and female genitalia drawing and description for this species using Compound Microscope.

Principles in the use of the current programs to help carry out a phylogenetic analysis: NONA, TNT, POY, and TREE VIEW.

The information generated in my 10 months stay, has resulted in 37 new species distributed in South America. Moreover, this compilation of molecular and morphological information constitutes the biggest collection of Cyphophthalmi for a South American tropical country.

2004-2005. Associate Researcher. National University of Colombia. Institute of Natural Sciences. Project title: Orbicular spiders. As a part of the project Characterization of flora and fauna indicator groups at the Colombian Cordillera Oriental.

2005-present. Principal coordinator in the group of terrestrial invertebrates ESPELEOCOL (Colombian Society of Speleology). Project title: Biodiversity in Colombian caves and caverns.

 

Teaching:

2003-2004. Teaching Assistant in the course Animal Systematics. National University of Colombia.
2001. Teaching Assistant in the course Biology of spiders. National University of Colombia.

 

Fieldwork:

Scientific field collections of arachnids and other arthropods in different regions of Colombia including forest ecosystems, savannas, deserts, caves and canopy.

2005
June. Cunday caves. Colombian Cordillera Oriental. Collection of several species of arthropods and small mammals. With Professor Yaneth Munoz. National University of Colombia. Institute of Natural Sciences.

2004
November. Boyacá, Nariño and Amazonas Colombian regions. With Dr. Gonzalo Giribet.
July. Santander. Colombian Cordillera Oriental. As a part of the project Characterization of flora and fauna indicator groups at the Colombian Cordillera Oriental. National University of Colombia. Institute of Natural Sciences.
June. Boyacá. Colombian Cordillera Oriental. As a part of the project Characterization of flora and fauna indicator groups at the Colombian Cordillera Oriental. National University of Colombia. Institute of Natural Sciences.
February-May. Colombian Amazon. Collection of spiders in all the strata in a tropical rain forest, including canopy and litter. 

2003
September-December. Colombian Amazon. Collection of spiders in all the strata in a tropical rain forest, including canopy and litter.
July. Montane Forest. Colombian Cordillera Occidental. With professor German Amat. National University of Colombia. Institute of Natural Sciences.
March. Tatacoa desert. Huila Colombia. Collection of scorpions. With Professor Eduardo Florez. National University of Colombia. Institute of Natural Sciences.

Assistant in field trips for the courses Biology of spiders, Animal Systematics (arthropods), Terrestrial Ecology and Biology of Spiders. National University of Colombia. Institute of Natural Sciences. 

2005
March. Field assistant in the course Animal Systematics (arthropods). Savanna, Colombian Llanos Orientales. National University of Colombia. Institute of Natural Sciences. 

2004
September. Field assistant in the course Animal Systematics (arthropods), Tropical rain forest, Leticia, Colombia. National University of Colombia. Institute of Natural Sciences.
 May. Field Assistant in the course Terrestrial Ecology. Colombian Tropical rain forest. Department of Biology. National University of Colombia.

 2001
November. Field assistant in the course Biology of Spiders. Montane forest. National University of Colombia. Institute of Natural Sciences.

 

Photography:

Pictures for the book Guía para la cría de escarabajos (Guide for Coleoptera care). Fundación Natura y Universidad Nacional de Colombia, 2005.

Pictures for the book Libro Rojo de las especies amenazadas de artrópodos terrestres de Colombia (Red book of the endangered species of the Colombian terrestrial arthropods).

 

Courses:

2005. Scientific redaction. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Bogota, Colombia.

2004. Intensive course in Tropical Ecology. Río Ñambí Natural Reserve. ECOTONO (Corporation to the study and conservation of the wild life). Nariño, Colombia.

2002. Course in advance rescue techniques in mountains. National University of Colombia.

2001. Techniques to access the canopy. Santa Marta, Colombia.

 

 

Awards:

2004. Hermano Apolinar Maria award to the best research in Ecology and Environment. XXXI Congress of Sociedad Colombiana de Entomología (SOCOLEN). Canopy spiders communities from terra firme and Igapó forest in Mosiro Itajura Biological Station, Vaupés, Colombian Amazon.

 

Publications:

Benavides, L., G. Giribet. 2007. An illustrated catalogue to the South American species of the cyphophthalmid family Neogoveidae (Arthropoda, Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi) with a report on 37 new species. Zootaxa. In Press.

Benavides, L., E. Florez. 2007. Comunidades de arañas (Arachnida: Araneae) en microhabitats de dosel en bosques inundables y no inundables de la Amazonía colombiana. Revista Ibérica de Aracnología. In Press.

Boyer S.L., R. Clouse, L. Benavides, P. Sharma, P. Schwendinger, I. Karunarathna, G. Giribet. 2007.Biogeography of the World: a case study with globally distributed arachnids. Journal of Biogeography. In Press.

Pinzón, J., L. Benavides, A. Sabogal. Nuevos registros para la familia Araneidae (Arachnida: Araneae) en la región de la Amazonía Colombiana. In preparation. 

Rico-G., A. & L. Benavides. 2005. Patterns in resources distribution between honey birds and ornitophilic plants in Rio Ñambi Natural Reserve. Acta Biológica Colombiana, Vol. 10 Nº 2, p.153

 

 

Scientific Meetings :

2006. Orbicular Spiders of Colombian Amazon. Jaime Pinzón, Ligia Benavides & Alexander Sabogal. II Colombian Congress of Zoology. Santa Marta, Colombia, December. Oral Communication.

2005. Patterns in resources distribution between honey birds and ornitophilic plants in Rio Ñambi. Natural Reserve. Alejandro Rico & Ligia Benavides. IV Scientific Meeting of Biology students. Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá.

2004. Benavides, L. Comunidades de arañas asociadas al dosel de bosques de tierra firme e Igapó en la Estación Biológica Mosiro Itajura, Vaupes, Amazonia Colombiana (Canopy spiders communities from terra firme and Igapó forest in Mosiro Itajura Biological Station, Vaupés, Colombian Amazon). XXXI Meeting of Colombian Entomological Society (SOCOLEN). Oral Communication.

2003. Benavides, L. Canopy spiders of two forests in Colombian Amazon: preliminary data. IV Arachnological Meeting, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Oral Communication.

2001. XIV Colombian Congress of Ornithology. Leticia, Colombia. Assistant.

 

Professional Societies :

SOCOLEN. Colombian Society of Entomology. Active member

ESPELEOCOL. Colombian Society of Speleology. Founder member.

 

Links :

Link to the Cyphopthalmi Research website at Harvard University:

http://www.mcz.harvard.edu/Departments/InvertZoo/Cyphophthalmi/Cyphophthalmi_home.htm