Point of contact at UniTrento
prof. Gianfranco Anfora (coordinator)
prof. Eugenio Aprea
prof. Albrecht Haase
prof. Michele Perazzolli
prof. Gerardo Puopolo
prof. Mirco Rodeghiero
prof. Omar Rota-Stabelli
Point of contact at FEM
dr. Valerio Mazzoni
dr. Gino Angeli
dr. Marco Valerio Rossi Stacconi
The main focus of the research group is on understanding the biological processes underlying the phylogenesis, physiology and ethology of insects that are relevant to agriculture, in particular through the study of their sensory communication mechanisms and their ecological interactions, considering both biotic and abiotic factors. The main goal is to generate scientific innovation leading to the development of new technologies to protect agro-ecosystems from pests in a sustainable way while preserving biodiversity.
- Unravel intra- and interspecific chemical and physical communication (including plant-insects and microorganisms-insects communication) in organisms of agricultural and environmental interest.
- Characterize the biology and ecology of exotic invasive insects (population dynamics and genetics, multi-trophic relationships in ecosystems).
- Develop integrated and environmental-friendly monitoring and control methods, based on semiochemicals (pheromones and kairomones), semiophysics (vibrations) and developmental disruption, such as mating disruption, mass trapping, sterile male technique, multi-stimulus traps.
- Develop and manipulate invertebrates as biocontrol agents (parasitoids, predators) for the implementation of classical, augmentative and conservation biological control methods.