Ricerc@Sapienza

I’m interested in the taxonomy and systematics of groups of species or higher taxa, of beetles of the families Curculionidae, Nitidulidae, Phalacridae, Scarabaeidae, Hydraenidae and Endomychidae, from Palaearctic and Afrotropical areas. Disentangling of taxonomic and phylogenetic issues are the main prerequisite for studying these beetles from a biogeographic and evolutionary perspective, this being my main interest. I use morphological and molecular approaches to study these insects in a modern cladistic framework in order to infer the phylogenetic relationships among the taxa under study. From a biogeographic and phylogeographic perspective my researches are focused mainly on the analysis of the beetle fauna of the above cited families in Euro-Mediterranean and Afrotropical areas. The reconstruction of palaeodynamics of colonization events and the identification of homogeneous geographic areas (zoogeographic regions or districts), are the main goals. More recently, I started to study with a genetic approach the biological invasion of the Red Palm Weevil that was introduced in the Mediterranean basin with trade of plants grown for food and ornamental purposes. The main goal is the detection of the colonization routes also as a contribution to the development of a management strategy of this biological invasion.

I’m also interested in evolutionary topics regarding the insect-plant relationships and the adaptive meaning of genetic polymorphisms of some groups of phytophagous beetles (Weevils; Curculionidae). I’m studying the relationships between the genetic variability and the breadth of diet (mononophagy to polyphagy) of strictly related species of the weevil Trichosirocalus by integrating data on ecology, phylogeny and genetic structure of natural populations. In the context of this studies, since 2002 I’m responsible of a research project, in collaboration with the European Biological Control Laboratory (EBCL) of USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and the Biotechnology and Biological Control Agency (BBCA, Rome, Italy), ocused on the biological control of weeds. I’m characterizing from the genetic point of view several natural populations of phytophagous insects in order to evaluate them as putative agents of biological control against weeds. The insect populations are biotypes associated to the weeds of interest that could eventually be used as source for the release of agents of biological control against that weeds. Therefore, the project is strongly based on the integration of genetic and ecological data in order to plan the release of these insects in nature. Some results of this project have triggered a research program to shed light on a) the genetic divergence associated to the use of alternative host plants by strictly related species of leaf beetles (Psylliodes spp.; Chrysomelidae) and weevils (Trichosirocalus spp.; Curculionidae) and b) supposed hybridization phenomena between host races of these beetles.

I have published more than 80 scientific papers primarily on insects. I have participated and organized many trips to collect biological samples in European and African countries.