Prof. Dr. Johannes Steidle is Professor of Chemical Ecology at the University of Hohenheim's Institute of Biology, where he serves as Managing Director since 2020. His leadership extends to chairing the VDI committee for Insect-friendly Mowers (since 2022) and directing the Competence Center for Biodiversity (KomBioTa) since 2018. A key advisor to Baden-Württemberg's biodiversity program since 2017, he bridges academic research with environmental policy implementation. His educational foundation was established through doctoral studies at the University of Bayreuth (1981-1993), followed by postdoctoral work at Wageningen University and CSIRO Australia. This international training underpins his interdisciplinary approach to entomological challenges. Steidle's research centers on chemical ecology and insect conservation, with dual focus areas: pheromone-mediated biological control of stored product pests (particularly using parasitoid wasps like Lariophagus distinguendus), and developing arthropod-friendly mowing technologies to combat insect decline. His work on sex pheromones in click beetles and symbiont-induced reproductive manipulation reveals fundamental mechanisms driving insect population dynamics. The InsectMow project exemplifies his applied research translating lab discoveries into field-ready conservation solutions for grassland ecosystems. Analysis of his 2022-2025 publications shows escalating emphasis on mitigating anthropogenic threats to arthropods, particularly through agricultural innovation. Over 60% of recent work addresses mowing technology optimization, while his foundational pheromone research now integrates with symbiont studies to explain cryptic speciation in parasitoid complexes. This dual trajectory positions his lab at the nexus of basic evolutionary entomology and urgent conservation applications. Scientific recognition includes: Environmental Award of Sparkasse Pforzheim Calw (2004) Editorial Board membership for Journal of Applied Entomology (2012-2017) As former Dean of Biology (2003-2012) and Head of Biology (2008-2012), Steidle has shaped institutional research directions while securing state and federal grants for biodiversity initiatives. His current KomBioTa leadership coordinates taxonomic resources across Baden-Württemberg, creating synergies between traditional systematics and genomic approaches to species conservation. The Chemical Ecology group operates within Hohenheim's Institute of Biology, maintaining specialized facilities for pheromone analysis and arthropod behavior studies. Through KomBioTa, the team collaborates with state environmental agencies on the Hohenheimer Box mass-rearing system for biological control agents and field-testing of the VDI 4350 mowing standards.













