Sílvia Pina

Sílvia Pina is conducting a Ph.D. in Biodiversity, Genetics and Evolution by the University of Lisbon starting in 2026 within the Subterranean Ecology group of CE3C. She is conducting the project “Hidden giants singing in the bushes: a review of the saddle bush-crickets (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Bradyporinae) in the Iberian Peninsula using morphology, bioacoustics and genetics”, under the supervision of Roberto A. Keller (MNHNC, CE3C-UL), and co-supervision of Pedro Souza-Dias (UFRJ) and Octávio S. Paulo (CE3C-UL). Sílvia Pina Ph.D. project aims to generate novel insights into the taxonomy and faunistic of Iberian saddle bush-crickets, as well as improve our understanding of the phylogenetic relationships within the group. Species boundaries will be reassessed using a combination of morphological traits, bioacoustics, and molecular data analyses. The geographical distribution of Bradyporinae species will be updated by incorporating data from historical collections from museums, published records, and systematic field surveys, particularly in under-sampled or ecologically significant regions. This research will improve the understanding of this diverse and cryptic insect group in the western-most Mediterranean while complementing existing collections, and supporting future conservation, systematic and ecological studies.