Suresh P. Benjamin
Suresh P. Benjamin (also known as Suresh Prins Benjamin) is a Sri Lankan biologist and research professor at the National Institute of Fundamental Studies (NIFS) in Kandy, Sri Lanka. He is known for his work in evolutionary biology, biodiversity, taxonomy, and systematics, with a focus on spiders (Salticidae and Thomisidae). Benjamin has described over 120 new species of spiders and is considered a leading authority on the systematics of Oriental crab spiders and jumping spiders.[1]
Early life and education
Benjamin studied biology at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, where he earned his MSc (Mag. rer. nat.). He later completed his PhD at the University of Basel, Switzerland, focusing on spider behavior, web construction, and evolution.[2]
Career
Following his doctorate, Benjamin held several international postdoctoral fellowships, including positions at the University of California, Berkeley, the George Washington University, and the Smithsonian Institution in the United States.[2]
He returned to Sri Lanka to join the National Institute of Fundamental Studies, where he is a research professor in the Ecology and Environmental Biology program.[2] He is also an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow, having conducted collaborative research in Germany at the Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn.[1]
Research
Benjamin’s research interests center on the evolution, phylogeny, and taxonomy of spiders, especially crab spiders (Thomisidae) and jumping spiders (Salticidae). His work combines morphology, molecular systematics, and behavior to explore questions of speciation and biodiversity.
He has contributed to major international phylogenetic studies, including the "Spider tree of life," and has published influential papers on spider web construction, behavior, and homology. His taxonomic work has significantly expanded the known diversity of Sri Lankan and Asian spiders.[3]
According to the Humboldt Foundation, he has described more than 122 new species of spiders.[1]
Selected publications
- Benjamin, S. P. & Zschokke, S. (2003). "Webs of theridiid spiders: construction, structure and evolution". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 78(3): 293–305. doi:[10.1046/j.0024-4066.2003.00152.x](https://doi.org/10.1046/j.0024-4066.2003.00152.x)
- Benjamin, S. P. & Zschokke, S. (2004). "Homology, behaviour and spider webs: web construction behaviour...". Journal of Evolutionary Biology.
- Benjamin, S. P. et al. (2017). "The spider tree of life: phylogeny of Araneae based on target-gene analyses from an extensive taxon sampling". Cladistics.
- Benjamin, S. P. (2015). "Phylogeny and systematics of jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.
- Benjamin, S. P. (2019). "Revision of crab spiders of the genus Stephanopis". Zootaxa.
- Benjamin, S. P. & Kanesharatnam, N. (2018). "New species of jumping spiders from Sri Lanka". Zootaxa.
Recognition
- Alexander von Humboldt Fellow (Germany).
- Recognized internationally as a specialist in Oriental spider taxonomy and biodiversity.
- Contributor to global biodiversity and conservation research in Sri Lanka.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Suresh Prins Benjamin". Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Prof. Suresh Benjamin". National Institute of Fundamental Studies. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ↑ "Suresh P. Benjamin – Google Scholar". Retrieved 4 October 2025.
External links
- [1](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Suresh-Benjamin) ResearchGate profile]
- [2](https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=S0fWcAoAAAAJ) Google Scholar profile]
- [3](https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category):Taxa_named_by_Suresh_P._Benjamin Wikispecies – Taxa authored by Suresh P. Benjamin]
This article "Suresh P. Benjamin" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Suresh P. Benjamin. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
