Ruth Salas

Senior Museum Specialist

ruth-salas-710-900
Email:
rsalasSPAMFILTER@amnh.org
Phone:
212-769-5709

Research Interests

Collections Responsibility: Hemiptera & 'non-Holometabolous Minor Orders'

Ruth Salas, born and raised in Costa Rica, obtained a M.Sc. in Biology from Universidad de Costa Rica. Her thesis project versed on the ecology of the kissing bug Triatoma dimidiata (Reduviidae: Triatominae) in wild and domestic environments. She studied the seasonal variation of its abundance, its feeding sources, and its relationship with Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan responsible for Chagas disease. Prior to her graduate research, Ruth worked as a field instructor for the EAP of the University of California, and as an assistant for several scientific projects. She also gathered significant experience in collecition management at the herbaria of the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica and of Universidad de Costa Rica. 

Ruth's affinity to taxonomy, her previous exposure to collections, and her passion for studying relationships between insects in proximity to human habitats drew her to her present work as Museum Specialist to the Hemiptera and Minor Orders collections under Randall T. Schuh's curatorship.

Currently, Ruth is studying the taxonomy, plant hosts and geographic distribution of South African plant bugs (Miridae: Phylini), under the supervision of Dr. Schuh.

Collections Responsibility: Hemiptera & 'non-Holometabolous Minor Orders'

Publications

Ranjith, M., M.M. Rocha, C.M. Kalleshwaraswamy, J.L. Ware, & R. Salas. 2022. A Redescription of Pericapritermes ceylonicus (Holmgren, 1911) (Blattodea, Isoptera, Termitidae) and first record from India Sociobiology, 69(4): e7238. https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v69i4.7238

Schuh, R.T. & R. Salas. 2021. Graziaphylus, a new genus and two new species of Eremophila-feeding (Scrophulariceae) Phylinae (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae) from Australia. Zootaxa 4958 (1):319-326. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4958.1.18

Salas, R., & R.T. Schuh.  2018.  Macrotylus henryi, a new species of Pelargonium-feeding Cremnorrhinina from South Africa (Hemiptera, Miridae, Phylinae, Cremnorrhinini).  ZooKeys 796: 267-280.  https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.796.21429

Schuh, R.T., & R. Salas.  2018.  Henryognathus thomasi, a new genus and new species of Arctostaphylos-feeding plant bug from western North America (Miridae, Phylinae, Phylini).  ZooKeys 796: 281-289.  https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.796.21432

Salas, R.  2012.  At work with a world-class scientist: A candid observation of Toby Schuh. Entomologica Americana 118 (1-4): 29-32.  https://doi.org/10.1664/12-SN-033.

Zuriaga, M.A., M. Blandón-Naranjo, I. Valerio-Campos, R. Salas, R. Zeledón, & M.D. Bargues.  2012.  Molecular characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi and infection rate of the vector Triatoma dimidiata in Costa Rica.  Parasitology Research 111(4): 1615-1620.  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00436-012-3000-0

Schuh, R.T., & R. Salas.  2011.  Revision of Parapseudosthenarus Schuh and Pseudosthenarus Poppius (Hemiptera: Miridae), a monophyletic group of Crotalarieae-feeding Phylinae from South Africa with discussion of host and distributions.  African Entomology 19(3): 660-708. https://doi.org/10.4001/003.019.0308

Salas-Peña, R.  2010.  Ecología del chinche bebesangre Triatoma dimidiata (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) en ambientes domésticos y silvestres de Monteverde, Costa Rica.  Tesis de graduación, Sistema de Estudios de Posgrado, Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR), 159 p.

Araújo, F., K. Barquero, & R. Salas.  2005.  Spatial distribution and reproductive strategies of Bryocorinae (Miridae) on ferns in an oil palm plantation.  In A. Farji and G. Barrantes (eds.), Ecología Tropical y Conservación 2005-2, pp: 44 - 49.  Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS), San José, Costa Rica.

Lucas, P.W., N.J. Dominy, P. Riba-Hernández, K.E. Stoner, N. Yamashita, E. Loría-Calderón, W. Petersen-Pereira, Y. Rojas-Durán, R. Salas-Peña, S. Solís-Madrigal, D. Osorio, & B.W. Darvell.  2003.  Evolution and function of routine trichromatic vision in primates.  Evolution 57 (11): 2636 - 2643.