Lucia Zappalà

Biography

Born in Catania on 14/12/1974, Lucia Zappalà was born Nov. 2010 SSD AGR / 11 (General and Applied Entomology) researcher at the Di3A of the University of Catania. He graduated in Agricultural Sciences at the same University (110/110 and praise) and in 2001 earned the title of Doctor of Research in Agricultural Entomology at the "Federico II" University of Naples. As an external collaborator, in 2005-06, he conducted tests on the side effects of pesticides on natural enemies of the coccinellas and tests on the mechanized distribution of antagonists on greenhouse crops. In 2006-10 he was a Research Assistant with a program on entomophages in the Mediterranean environment and their use in the control of harmful species. He has held numerous internships abroad: at the NHM London Dept. of Entomology (Nov.-Dec. 2000); at the Department of Entomology and Nematology of the University of Florida (2002-2003); at the Associated Unit of Agricultural Entomology UJI-IVIA (Aug.-Oct. 2009). In March 2015 she was Visiting Professor at UCBerkeley (US). Since 1998 he has been teaching and supporting activities for exercises on biological and integrated control issues, breeding antagonists, systematic and biology of Imenotteri. In the academic year. 2008-09 he was entrusted with the teaching of General Zoology. He is also a member of commissions of profit examinations and has been rapporteur, correlator and co-tutor of PhD thesis and doctoral thesis. He is the scientific director of the research unit of the University of Catania in the European Projects FP7-PEOPLE-IRSES "ASCII" and "APHIWEB". He is coordinator of the "FIR 2014" research project of the University of Catania, entitled "Insecticide Effectiveness of Natural Substances and Multilevel Analysis of Effect on Insect Insects, Enzymatic Metabolism of Plant and Soil Biological Properties" (2015-2017 ); Principal Investigator of the Research Project "Sustainable Tomato Production: Plant Protection Enhancement, Development of New Biopesticides and Optimization of Environmental, Water and Chemical Inputs" (STomP) funded under the Call for Proposals ARIMNET 2 - Agricultural Research In The Mediterranean Network, ERA Action -NET, funded by the European Union under the FP7 (2016-2019); coordinator of the PRIN Project (MIUR) "Biopesticides for Sustainable Pest Control" (BIOPIC) (2017-2020). 

Research Interest

Its main lines of research concern parasitosis, their biology, behavior and application as biological control agents mainly of alien insects in agroecosystems as well as the secondary effects of pesticides on natural enemies. On these themes, projects and research activities are underway in collaboration with esteemed Italian and foreign specialists on various topics.