PhD Researcher (LMU Munich · Zoologische Staatssammlung München)
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Curious about the hidden patterns of life, from the misty páramos to the tiniest wings.
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<aside> 🍃 I am a biologist passionate about the diversity and evolution of treehoppers (Membracidae), a group of insects that to me embody both strangeness and beauty. My research explores how ecological interactions shape their diversification in the Colombian Andes. Curiosity drives everything I do, from the smallest pronotal detail to the broadest evolutionary question. I believe science is not only about understanding nature, but also about learning from it.
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My name is Juanita Rodríguez-Serrano, and I am a biologist and doctoral researcher at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (Germany). I study the evolution, morphology, and ecology of treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae).
I fell in love with these insects thanks to a great mentor, Dr. Dimitri Forero, whose passion for entomology sparked my own. Since then, treehoppers have become a living metaphor for what fascinates me most about nature: its ability to surprise us, challenge our perceptions, and reveal beauty in the unusual.
My research integrates molecular systematics, 3D morphometrics, and evolutionary ecology to understand how interactions between insects and plants, particularly with Espeletia, have shaped diversification across Andean páramo ecosystems. Yet beyond the methods, what truly drives me is a deep curiosity for the patterns and meanings that nature holds.
I believe science can be rigorous and human at the same time; that communicating with sensitivity does not diminish seriousness, but rather enriches it. My goal is to make science that inspires, connects worlds (academic, natural, and human) and reminds us that observing is also a way of caring.
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My research explores the evolutionary diversification of Andean treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae), combining molecular phylogenetics, 3D pronotal morphometrics, and ecological data to understand how plant associations and elevation gradients shape their diversity.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5750.1.7
Juanita Rodríguez-Serrano, Michael Raupach
01 jan. 2026 | Journal article
Eucyphonia Sakakibara, 1968, originally described as Cyphonia Laporte, 1832, is characterized by its elaborated pronotum, featuring bilobed suprahumeral processes and ornate posterior process. Examination of Membracidae material housed at the Natural History Museum of Vienna revealed a remarkable new species from Brazil, Eucyphonia nuggetta Rodríguez-Serrano & Raupach sp. nov. This species can be readily distinguished by its ochre body coloration with brown shading and a uniquely coarsely tuberculate pronotal surface, markedly differing from that of other Eucyphonia species. A detailed description and illustrations of this species are provided, together with an updated identification key for Eucyphonia. With this addition, the number of known species in the genus increases to ten. Our findings highlight the critical role of museum collections for documenting hidden diversity and refining taxonomic knowledge in poorly studied groups.
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Juanita Rodríguez-Serrano, Michael Raupach
26 nov. 2025 | Journal article
The Neotropical genus Ilithucia Stål, 1867 (Hemiptera: Membracidae: Smiliinae: Ceresini) comprises a distinctive group of treehoppers primarily distributed across the Andean highlands in South America. Historically, its taxonomy has been entangled with that of closely related genera such as Antonae, due to overlapping morphological traits. Although species boundaries within Ilithucia remain complex, this study contributes to resolve these uncertainties through a comprehensive revision based on museum specimens from various collections. In this endeavor, we describe Ilithucia colombiana Rodríguez-Serrano & Raupach sp. nov., a new species from Colombian montane ecosystems, distinguished by its yellow-ochre coloration, distinctive suprahumeral processes, and unique genital morphology. The new species reinforces the morphological cohesion of the genus and expands its known geographic and altitudinal distribution. An updated dichotomous identification key to all currently recognized species is provided for the first time. Finally, we highlight the essential role of museum collections in biodiversity research, particularly for groups inhabiting remote or threatened ecosystems such as the Andean páramos.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.25100/socolen.v51i1.13104
Juanita Rodríguez-Serrano, Carlos Prieto, Michael Balke
30 jun. 2025 | Journal article
The tribe Euglossini (orchid bees) is vital for tropical pollination, making their diversity and distribution across altitudinal gradients crucial for ecological studies and conservation. This study assesses Euglossini diversity in northern Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Serranía del Perijá, focusing on altitudes from 600 to 2200 meters above sea level (m a.s.l.). Using Barcode Index Numbers (BIN) and the COI gene, 1258 male specimens were collected, with 415 individuals sequenced. We identified 21 Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs), from which BOLD: AEF4646 (Eufriesea) was identified as the most variable, BOLD: AEF4645 (Eufriesea) as the most divergent molecular species, and also species like BOLD: AAC0547 (Euglossa) are widely distributed in both SNSM and SP at 800 and 1000 m a.s.l., while BOLD: AAC3172 (Euglossa) is strongly associated with 800 m a.s.l. communities. Additionally, BOLD: ABY5852 (Euglossa) prefers sites between 1400 m and 1800 m a.s.l. Diversity analyses revealed no significant differences in species richness between the gradients, but richness declined with altitude. Eufriesea and Euglossa species were broadly distributed in the Sierra Nevada, while Euglossa and Eulaema dominated the Serranía del Perijá. Beta diversity analyses showed distinct distribution patterns, with intermediate elevations marking a transition zone. Above 2000 m a.s.l., evolutionary processes likely sustain Euglossini populations, emphasizing the role of these regions in bee diversification.
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DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4577.3.4
Juanita Rodríguez-Serrano; Dimitri Forero
8 april. 2019 | Journal article
Eucyphonia festiva sp. nov., is described and illustrated from Santa María, Boyacá on the eastern slope of the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia. Eucyphonia species were previously recorded only from Ecuador, Brazil and Venezuela; thus the new species represents a new generic record for Colombia. This new species was found associated with Piper sp. (Piperaceae), although further confirmation is needed to show that this is a host plant.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.796.22058
Dimitri Forero, Juanita Rodríguez, Valentina Ocampo
15 nov. 2018 | Journal article
Plant bugs, species of Miridae (Heteroptera), are not well known in the Neotropics, and Colombia is not an exception. Based on data from the available systematic catalog (Schuh 2002–2013) fewer than 150 species are recorded from the country, clearly an underestimation. Recent fieldwork has resulted in several new interesting taxa from Colombia. Carvalhomiris Maldonado & Ferreira, 1971, contains three described species from Colombia and Ecuador. From specimens collected in Jardín, Antioquia, Carvalhomiris henryi sp. n. is described. Images of the dorsal habitus and the male and female genitalia are provided. Based on morphological examination of the new species and published information, morphological characters were coded to construct a phylogenetic matrix for a cladistic analysis in which the phylogenetic position of the new species is assessed. Carvalhomiris henryi sp. n. is the northernmost species of the genus and noteworthy because it is the first record of any species of the genus in the Western Cordillera: all other species are known from the eastern flank of the Andes (Ecuador) or the Eastern Cordillera (Colombia). Natural history observations of the new species, including associations with composites (Asteraceae) are provided. It is speculated that the mirid might be predacious.
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My fieldwork across the Colombian Andes is at the heart of my research. I explore high-elevation páramos to document the diversity of treehoppers (Membracidae) and their ecological relationships, especially with Espeletia plants.
Beyond the mountains, I have also conducted field expeditions in the Caribbean region, studying orchid-bee (Euglossini) diversity and pollination ecology. These experiences, from misty páramos to tropical forests, have deepened my fascination with how insects and plants interact across different environments.
Each expedition is both a scientific pursuit and a reminder of the beauty and fragility of the ecosystems that sustain them.
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