PhD student profile, Serena Malabusini

PhD Student: Serena Malabusini (ORCID n. 0000-0001-5354-8860)

Tutor: Prof. Daniela Lupi, DeFENS

Co-tutor: Costanza Jucker, DeFENS

Dean: Prof. Diego Mora

Research area: Agri-Environment

PhD title achieved on: 17^th March 2023

Research topic: Insect management in agroecosystem: from pests to pollinators.

Project Synopsis

The goal of the research project is to deepen the knowledge on the behavioural traits of parasitic wasps, key organisms for the balance of ecosystems thanks to their role in the control of agricultural plant pest. As parasitoid species can behave as solitary, gregarious or quasi-social, the attention will be focused on their sociality. In detail the effect of their behaviour on parasitic performances and, consequently, on biological control success will be analysed. All tests will be conducted under different laboratory conditions on test species on diverse hosts and under different parasitoid density. The attention will be focused on, sociality, gregarious behaviour, maternal cares, performances and, when possibly, physiology with the aim of optimize insect parasitoids management in field.

 

Project keywords

Pest, Biocontrol, Environment, Parasitoids, Behaviour

 

Contacts

Università degli Studi di Milano

DeFENS – Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences

Laboratorio di Entomologia

Edificio 21030

Via Celoria, 2 – 20133, Milano

Phone: +39 02 50316758

e-mail: serena.malabusini@unimi.it

 

Collaborations

Sara Savoldelli, DeFENS, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy;

Antonio Martini, Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro-Alimentari, Alma Mater studiorum, Università di Bologna, Italy;

Ian C.W. Hardy, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, UK

Manuela Giovanetti, CREA Centro di Ricerca Agricoltura e Ambiente, Bologna, Italy

 

Sponsor

Fellowship sponsor: Università degli Studi di Milano.

 

Publications

Publications with impact factor:

Jucker, C., Hardy, I. C., Malabusini, S., de Milato, S., Zen, G., Savoldelli, S., & Lupi, D. (2020). Factors Affecting the Reproduction and Mass-Rearing of Sclerodermus brevicornis (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae), a Natural Enemy of Exotic Flat-Faced Longhorn Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae). Insects, 11(10), 657.

 

Publications without impact factor:

Malabusini, S., De Milato, S., Jucker, C., Savoldelli, S., Lupi, D.,(2021) Lo studio della bioetologia dei parassitoidi come aspetto fondamentale per il controllo biologico. Entomata, 15: 84-90.

Lupi, D., Heinzl, A.,Malabusini, S., Giovanetti, M., Jucker, C., Tremolada, P., Colombo, M. (2020) La conservazione degli apoidei tra fattori di stress e nuove prospettive. Entomata,13: 38-43

Malabusini, S., Palamara Mesiano, M., Zanovello, D., Giuliani, C., Fico, G., Giovanetti, M., Lupi, D. (2019) Flower selection of Xylocopa violacea: aromatic and ornamental plants as resources in a botanic garden, Landscape management for functional biodiversity, IOBC-WPRS Bulletin, Vol. 143: 41,45.

 

National and International Conferences proceedings:

Lupi, D., Jucker, C., Malabusini, S., Abdi, M. K., & Hardy, I. C. W. (2021). Using Sclerodermus brevicornis to understand sociality in parasitoids. Proceedings of XXVI Convegno Nazionale Italiano di Entomologia-CNIE. June 7-11, Torino.

Malabusini, S., Rota, F., Zugno, M., Giovanetti, M., Felicetti, P., Lupi, D. (2021) The influcence of Phacelia tanacetifolia on early-spring and late-summer foraging behaviour of Apis mellifera and other bees. Book of Abstract of XXVI Convegno Nazionale Italiano di Entomologia-CNIE. June 7-11, Torino.

Lupi, D., Malabusini, S., De Milato, S., Jucker, C. (2021) The rearing system of Sclerodermus brevicornis, a potential biocontrol agent of flat faced Longhorn beetle : perspective and difficulties.  Proceedings II International Congress of Biological Control-ICBC , April 26-30, Davos, Switzerland

Malabusini, S., Mortazavi, N., Golparvar, Z., Jucker, C., Lupi, D., (2020). Inter- and intra-specific competition in Bethylid wasps. Proceedings XI Annual Meeting of European PhD Network “Insect Science”. 30 Nov-4 Dec.

Malabusini, S., Mortazavi, N., Golparvar, Z., Jucker, C., Lupi, D., (2019) Segregation and behavior of the parasitoid of longhorn beetles Sclerodermus brevicornis (Hymenoptera Bethylidae) in laboratory choice tests. Book of abstract, X EUROPEAN PhD NETWORK “INSECT SCIENCE” December 4-6 , Genova, Italy

Savoldelli, S., Lupi, D., Malabusini, S., Zugno, M., Jucker, C., (2019) – Old books infestation by Gastrallus pubens Fairmaire (Coleoptera Anobiidae). Proceedings 4th international conference IPM 2019, Integrated Pest Management for Cultural Heritage, 21-23 May, Stockholm, Sweden

 

Communication at congresses as a speaker:

“Using Sclerodermus brevicornis to understand sociality in parasitoids”. XXVI Convegno Nazionale Italiano di Entomologia-CNIE. June 7-11, 2021 Torino.(Oral)

“Inter- and intra-specific competition in Bethylid wasps”. XI Annual Meeting of European PhD Network “Insect Science”. 30 Nov-4 Dec, 2021.(Oral)

“The influcence of Phacelia tanacetifolia on early-spring and late-summer foraging behaviour of Apis mellifera and other bees”.  XXVI Convegno Nazionale Italiano di Entomologia-CNIE. June 7-11, 2021,Torino.(Poster)

“Segregation and behavior of the parasitoid of longhorn beetles Sclerodermus brevicornis (Hymenoptera Bethylidae) in laboratory choice tests”., X EUROPEAN PhD NETWORK “INSECT SCIENCE” 4-6 December 2019, Genova, Italy.(Poster)

 

Others

Education:

Master Degree in “Scienze della Produzione e Protezione delle piante”, Facoltà di Scienze agrarie e alimentari, Università degli Studi di Milano – 2018.

Bachelor Degree in “Produzione e Protezione delle piante e dei Sistemi del verde”, Facoltà di Scienze agrarie e alimentari, Università degli Studi di Milano – 2016.