I began learning how to recognize curculionid beetles for the first time in 2015 during the first entomology class I enrolled. I assembled a collection of 200 specimens. Subsequently, I became a member of the DIA student group (Diversidad de Insectos en Agricultura) at the UNAB (Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá) entomological museum. I was asked to organize the Curculionoidea collection, under the curatorial standards at the Museum. I vividly remember examining different features, forms, and colors under the stereomicroscope. At the time, I became overwhelmed by the diversity of the group, struggling to group them in some way. Although I used to curate insect specimens from other families rather than those in Curculionoidea, I never experienced the same feel of wonder and fascination as I did studying weevils.

Later on, I embarked on an internship, focusing on the curation of the Coleoptera at UNAB related to Colombian agriculture. Under the mentoring of Dr. Francisco Serna, who taught me General Entomology, Immature insects, and Insect morphology. After, I was asked to work in the beetle collection. Despite pursuing roles in other areas of agronomy, my curiosity remained engaged in the world of insects.

In 2021, I met Dr. Adriana Marvaldi, whom I had known only through her publications. I shared my interest with her in seeking a doctoral grant to work on weevil research. Dr. Marvaldi as well as Dr. Guadalupe del Río kindly agreed to guide me in applying to CONICET (National Council for Scientific and Technical Research) a government agency that promotes research in Argentina and and provides scholarships for doctoral studies. 

Currently, I am committed to my doctoral studies under Marvaldi’s and del Río’s advising. My research focuses on the tribe Eudiagogini (Curculionidae: Entiminae). My plan is to use morphological evidence for phylogenetic analyses to assess the monophyly of the tribe and its genera. Additionally, I will carry out a molecular phylogenetic analysis at a higher taxonomic level to elucidate the monophyly and the phylogenetic position of the tribe. 

I hypothesize Eudiagogini is more closely related to other Neotropical tribes, such as those in Leptopiinae exhibiting a postocular lobe. Lastly, on the phylogenetic framework, I intend to investigate the evolution of particular traits, like those possibly adaptive, e.g., genital characters associated with oviposition, and the like, and analyze the diversification of the tribe.