Antonio Burguillos Huertas

Environmental biologist from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (2022), enthusiastic naturalist, and passionate about all the biodiversity that surrounds us, with a special interest in entomology, herpetology, and botany.

Since 2022, I have worked as a research technician in the Insect and Pollination Research Ecology Group (GEIP) at CREAF, led by Jordi Bosch and Anselm Rodrigo, participating in various projects and initiatives focused on the study and dissemination of wild pollinators, specially improving our knowledge on the abundance and distribution of the wild bees of Catalonia.

My beginnings in the world of entomology date back to 2021, when I started studying butterflies. Then, my interest in other groups of pollinators, such as wild bees and hoverflies, grew considerably. In 2022-2023, I participated in the coordination of the Atlantic/Mediterranean region of the SPRING project, a European pilot project whose main objective was to test the methodology of the future European Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (EUPoMS). This project significantly increased my knowledge on wild bees and hoverflies through specialized training on their taxonomy, biology, and research methodology.

Since then, I have specialized in the study of wild bees, and I am currently primarily involved in the development of various pollinator studies and catalogues (specially of wild bees) throughout Catalonia; implementing the Catalan Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (CATAPoMS), which is part of the PIPOL Plan; the taxonomic identification of specimens and the management of entomological collections, including the reference collection of wild bees and other pollinators of CREAF and teaching training courses on pollinators, with the aim of improving their knowledge in the territory and raising awareness of their great importance in ecosystems.