Fernando is a Uruguayan arachnologist and professor at the Universidad de la República, widely recognized as one of Latin America’s leading experts on tarantulas and other mygalomorph spiders. His research has helped clarify the taxonomy, evolution, and biogeography of Neotropical tarantulas, and he has described numerous newspecies, genera, and families throughout his career. Fernando combines traditional taxonomy with insights into behavior, reproductive biology, and functional morphology, making his work influential across multiple fields of spider biology. He is also editor of New World Tarantulas, the first comprehensive book on the biology and diversity of these spiders. Through decades of research, teaching, and mentorship, Fernando has played a key role in shaping modern arachnology in the Neotropics.
