Antonio Biondi

Antonio Biondi serves as Full Professor of General and Applied Entomology at the University of Catania's Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment. He concurrently holds significant administrative positions as Coordinator of the PhD Course in Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science and Deputy Rector for University Evaluation.

His educational background includes a Master's degree in Agricultural Sciences and Technologies (2009) and an international PhD in Phytosanitary Technologies and Agro-Ecosystem Protection (2012), both from the University of Catania. His post-doctoral training spanned multiple prestigious institutions including the Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (Spain), Institut National de Recherche Agronomique (France), University of Minnesota, and University of California, Berkeley.

Professor Biondi's research focuses on sustainable approaches to pest management in Mediterranean agriculture, with particular emphasis on the biology, ecology, and toxicology of bioinsecticides against invasive species. His work centers on model pests including Tuta absoluta, Drosophila suzukii, and Xylosandrus compactus and their natural enemies. His research integrates field studies with laboratory investigations to develop ecologically sound pest control strategies.

With an h-index of 49, his scholarly impact is substantial, earning him recognition as a Highly Cited Researcher annually since 2019. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Pest Science and has contributed as editor and reviewer for numerous other high-impact journals in the WoS-Scopus network.

• Highly Cited Researcher (2019-present)
• Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Pest Science
• Member of expert committee for ANSES (French Agency) on plant health risks (2018-2022)
• Full member of Italian Entomological Society

Professor Biondi actively supervises graduate students and post-doctoral researchers through international programs including Marie Curie and Erasmus agreements. His teaching responsibilities include Applied Agricultural Entomology and Integrated Pest Management courses for undergraduate and master's students. He has participated in numerous national and international research projects focused on sustainable pest control in agricultural ecosystems. His laboratory facilities at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment support both fundamental research on insect-plant interactions and applied studies for developing practical pest management solutions for Mediterranean agriculture.