Ana Maria Villa Serrano

Ana Maria Villa Serrano is a prominent researcher at the Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (IPB) in Portugal, specializing in agricultural entomology with a focus on Mediterranean agricultural ecosystems, particularly olive groves and vineyards. Her work investigates the complex relationships between landscape structure, insect communities, and biological pest control mechanisms.

Her educational background includes research on olive pest management, as evidenced by her doctoral thesis "Ecological infrastructures in sustainable olive growing: studies about Prays oleae (Bernard) and its natural enemies" (2016). Her early work also examined traditional agricultural practices, including the study "Estudio del potencial de la palomina como fertilizante en la Región Natural del Nordeste Transmontano (Portugal)" (2009).

Villa Serrano's research interests center on agricultural entomology, landscape ecology, and biological pest control. Her work consistently examines how landscape composition and configuration influence pest populations and their natural enemies in olive groves and vineyards. She has made significant contributions to understanding the ecology of the olive moth (Prays oleae), syrphid flies, and vectors of Xylella fastidiosa. Her research demonstrates how conservation biological control approaches can enhance sustainable agricultural practices in Mediterranean ecosystems.

Her publication record shows a clear progression from essential oil chemistry in early career (2005-2008) to agricultural entomology and landscape ecology (2012-present), with a significant increase in productivity from 2017 onward. Her most recent work (2022-2023) focuses on landscape effects on insect communities in vineyards and olive groves, functional diversity in protected areas, and vector management for Xylella fastidiosa.

Awards and Recognition:

• Mechanisms of Professor José Covas Lima, awarded by the 10th Integrated Protection National Meeting (2013)

Villa Serrano has collaborated extensively with researchers across Portugal and internationally, particularly with José Alberto Cardoso Pereira (78 co-publications) and Maria Villa (42 co-publications). Her work shows strong emphasis on practical applications for sustainable agriculture, including projects like NOVATERRA focused on reducing pesticide use in olive groves. She has contributed to understanding the role of spontaneous vegetation, ground cover management, and landscape connectivity in supporting beneficial arthropod communities within agricultural systems.

Her research has established important connections between agricultural practices, landscape structure, and ecosystem services in Mediterranean farming systems, providing valuable insights for developing more sustainable pest management strategies.