By Milton Norman Medina

Analyn Cabras, the leading authority on Philippine Curculionidae, particularly the tribe Pachyrhynchini passed away on December 7, 2024, during an open-heart surgery at Southern Philippines Medical Center – Heart Institute (SPMC) in Davao City, Philippines. She was 38 years old.

Ann’s dedication to science is unparalleled, especially for Filipino scientific workers. She is one of the first Filipinos who conceptualized the reform and renaissance of Philippine coleopterology, including the revival of the beetle collections at the Philippine National Museum in Manila. After finishing her PhD degree, she spent most of her time refining her taxonomic skills, and at the same time increasing her weevil collections, gathering specimens from all over the Philippines. She published her first new species of weevil in 2016, Pachyrhynchus miltoni, which we both collected at Marilog District, Davao City. In her almost 10 years of scientific career, she was able to describe more than 100 species of beetles new to science, mainly weevils, from the Philippines, including the recently described genus Filipinorhynchus, Cabras 2025. The day before her ill-fated operation, I visited her at SPMC and saw her editing four manuscripts, all of which are descriptions of new species of weevils from the Philippines. Her weevil collections are now stored at the Coleoptera Research Center at the University of Mindanao in Davao City, the Entomological collections at Davao Oriental State University in Mati City, and the National Museum of Natural History, Manila, Philippines.

Through her dedication and passion for Philippine science, she receives numerous awards and recognitions, including but not limited to the Women of Science featured by the National Geographic Society, Research Associate at the California Academy of Sciences, Research Associate at the National Museum of Natural History in the Philippines, and becoming a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London (FLS). She was also awarded as one of the Early Career Leadership Program Cohorts by the National Geographic Society in Hong Kong, where she met her life’s hero, Dr. Jane Goodall, who also passed away recently. 

Outside her scientific career, she was a gentle and caring aunt to her nieces, with whom she found joy and peace. She loved spending her free time painting, online chatting with close friends, and traveling. She was a foodie, particularly liked to eat Salmon, especially after our tiring work at the different European natural history museums and private collections. On a particular note, every time we had a chance to visit European museums, she would never miss Dresden in Germany, since the majority of the type species of her favorite weevils are stored in the Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde (SMTD). 

“Sometimes, I still feel sorry for myself, though. There is so much more I can probably do if I have a normal heart. But then, I am one of the very blessed ones. I live a very good life in spite and despite. I love and am loved well. One of the advantages of having a condition like mine is that I live consciously. Any time my heart can just snap, so I need to make every moment count. Every waking day is a gift, and I'm grateful for that”.

Although her time in this world was short, she was able to touch numerous individuals to develop a passion and dedication for Philippine coleopterology. Her kindness and gentle heart echoes in the hearts and minds of the individuals whom she touched. She was truly a very inspirational Woman of Science. 

Chronological order of the species authored and/or co-authored by Dr. Analyn Cabras

Pachyrhynchus miltoni Cabras & Rukmane-Berbale, 2016

Doliops coriticoi Cabras & Barsevskis, 2016      

Metapocyrtus (Artapocyrtus) willietorresi Cabras & Medina, 2018

Pericalus (Ceoloprosopus) mariaarquizae Anichtchenko & Cabras, 2018

Pachyrhynchus filipeae Rukmane-Barbale & Cabras, 2018

Pachyrhynchus möllendorffi marinduquanus Rukmane-Barbale & Cabras, 2018  

Pachyrhynchus franciscoi Rukmane-Barbale & Cabras, 2018                

Pachyrhynchus layroni Rukmane-Barbale & Cabras, 2018

Metapocyrtus ginalopezae Cabras & Medina, 2019

Doliops barsevskisi Cabras & Medina, 2019

Metapocyrtus kitangladensis Cabras, Medina, Zhang, 2019

Thopeutica (Thopeutica) petertaylori Medina, Cabras, Wiesner, 2019

Metapocyrtus (Dolichocephalocyrtus) zamboanganus Cabras & Medina, 2020

Thopeutica (Thopeutica) barsevskisi Medina & Cabras, 2020

Metapocyrtus tagabawa Cabras, Medina, Bollino, 2020

Metapocyrtus pulangi Cabras, Medina, Bollino, 2020

Metapocyrtus latifasciatus Cabras, Medina, Bollino, 2020

Metapocyrtus (Orthocyrtus) davaoensis Cabras, Medina, Bollino, 2021

Metapocyrtus (Orthocyrtus) hirakui Cabras, Medina, Bollino, 2021

Metapocyrtus jumawani Cabras & Medina, 2021

Metapocyrtus (Metapocyrtus) ged Cabras & Medina, 2021

Metapocyrtus (Metapocyrtus) flavomaculatus Cabras & Medina, 2021

Metapocyrtus (Metapocyrtus) pseudahirakui Cabras & Medina, 2021

Pachyrhynchus obumanuvu Cabras, Medina, Donato, Van Dam, 2021

Metapocyrtus kuehli Cabras, Villanueva, Medina, 2021

Metapocyrtus salesi Cabras, Villanueva, Medina, 2021

Cereopsius erasmus Medina, Mantilla, Cabras, Vitali, 2021

Metapocyrtus dagtum Cabras, Torrejos, Medina, 2021

Nedilla borodini Barsevskis & Cabras, 2021                   

Nedilla petrovi Barsevskis & Cabras, 2021         

Lamprobityle danae Barsevskis & Cabras, 2021

Metapocyrtus um Cabras & Van Dam, 2021

Metapocyrtus (Orthocyrtus) regalis Cabras, Medina, Bollino, 2022

Metapocyrtus (Orthocyrtus) tboli Cabras, Medina, Bollino, 2022

Metapocyrtus (Orthocyrtus) reagani Cabras, Medina, Bollino, 2022

Pachyrhynchus panumanon Cabras & Medina, 2022

Metapocyrtus (Orthocyrtus) melibengoy Cabras & Medina, 2022

Metapocyrtus (Orthocyrtus) flomlok Cabras & Medina, 2022

Metapocyrtus poncei Cabras & Medina, 2022

Callimetopus panayensis Barsevskis, Cabras & Medina, 2022

Polyphida palawana Barsevskis, Cabras & Medina, 2022

Polyphida shavrini Barsevskis, Cabras & Medina, 2022

Polyphida mindanaoana Barsevskis, Cabras & Medina, 2022

Metapocyrtus (Orthoycrtus) quadratus Cabras & Medina, 2022

Metapocyrtus (Metapocyrtus) ilgas Cabras & Medina, 2022                  

Metapocyrtus (Dolichocephalocyrtus) malindangensis Cabras, Pajota, Medina, 2022  

Metapocyrtus (Dolichocephalocyrtus) baulorum Cabras, Pajota, Medina, 2022            

Cylindrepomus ansihagani Medina & Cabras, 2022       

Gauromaia (Gauromaia) ruffordi Medina, Cabras, Ruzzier, 2022         

Gauromaia (Gauromaia) kitangladensis Medina, Cabras, Ruzzier, 2022           

Therates hubertusi Medina & Cabras, 2022

Onthophagus (Indachorius) agusanensis Teruo, Masahiro, Cabras, 2023          

Onthophagus (Indachorius) davaoensis Teruo, Masahiro, Cabras, 2023            

Onthophagus (Indachorius) lucenaensis Teruo, Masahiro, Cabras, 2023           

Onthophagus (Indachorius) basimaculatus Teruo, Masahiro, Cabras, 2023                   

Onthophagus (Indachorius) leyteinsulanus Teruo, Masahiro, Cabras, 2023                   

Onthophagus (Indachorius) lanaodelsuensis Teruo, Masahiro, Cabras, 2023                

Phaeochrous kuijteni Teruo, Masahiro, Cabras, 2023                 

Onthophagus (Hikidaeus) semiazusae Teruo, Masahiro, Cabras, 2023               

Onthophagus (Micronthophagus) bukidnonensis Teruo, Masahiro, Cabras, 2023          

Onthophagus (Onthophagiellus) pseudocrassicolllis Teruo, Masahiro, Cabras, 2023    

Onthophagus (Onthophagus) quirinoensis Teruo, Masahiro, Cabras, 2023        

Onthophagus (Onthophagus) falsicyobius Teruo, Masahiro, Cabras, 2023        

Onthophagus (Onthophagus) dinagalanensis Teruo, Masahiro, Cabras, 2023               

Onthophagus (Matashi) negroensis Teruo, Masahiro, Cabras, 2023                   

Onthophagus (Matashi) samarensis Teruo, Masahiro, Cabras, 2023                  

Onthophagus (Matashi) apomontanus Teruo, Masahiro, Cabras, 2023              

Onthophagus (Matashi) galeatus Teruo, Masahiro, Cabras, 2023  

Cyriotasiastes rhetenor solsonanensis Medina, Mapile, Cabras, Barsevskis, 2023        

Glenea (Glenea) vitali Medina, Cabras, Van Dam, 2023            

Glenea (Glenea) barsevskisi Medina, Cabras, Van Dam, 2023               

Gauromaia dorsu Medina & Cabras, 2023          

Gauromaia purpurea Medina & Cabras, 2023                

Metapocyrtus (Dolichocephalocyrtus) kutongbusaw Pajota, Medina, Cabras, 2023      

Lebioderus koichiroi Munetoshi, Cabras, Medina, 2023             

Cacia (Ipocregyes) katrinae Medina, Cabras, Barsevskis, 2023             

Cacia (Cacia) aeschyae Medina, Cabras, Barsevskis, 2023        

Metapocyrtus (Trachycyrtus) baltazarae Cabras, Buenavente, Medina, Bollino, 2023  

Metapocyrtus (Trachycyrtus) siargaonon Cabras, Buenavente, Medina, Bollino, 2023 

Metapocyrtus madayaw Cabras & Medina, 2023            

Metapocyrtus nacolod Cabras, Senarillos, Ibanez, 2023             

Metapocyrtus (Dolichocephalocyrtus) silago Cabras, Senarillos, Ibanez, 2023             

Metapocyrtus (Trachycyrtus) rubiginosus Torrejos & Cabras, 2023                   

Metapocyrtus baltazarae Cabras & Bollino, 2023          

Metapocyrtus siarganon Bollino & Cabras, 2023           

Metapocyrtus (Sclerocyrtus) dinagatensis Cabras, Iligan, Samarca, Temon, Cuadrado, Rukmane-Barbale, 2023 Metapocyrtus (Sclerocyrtus) dabaw Cabras & Mainda, 2023                 

Metapocyrtus (Sclerocyrtus) rolandmuelleri Cabras & Mainda, 2023                

Eumacrocyrtus robertfoxi Cabras, Buenavente, Medina, 2024               

Enoplocyrtus agelalcalai Cabras, Buenavente, Medina, 2024

Metapocyrtus hamiguitan Cabras, Villegas, Buenavente, 2024              

Metapocyrtus mranaw Cabras, Villegas, Buenavente, 2024

Metapocyrtus inangsabong Obrial, Agbas, Medina, Cabras, 2024         

Metapocyrtus lumad Obrial, Agbas, Medina, Cabras, 2024        

Metapocyrtus (Trachycyrtus) uphagpula Obrial, Agbas, Medina, Cabras, 2024