Forlano Pierluigi

Name and Surname: Pierluigi Forlano

Cycle: XXXIII - Curriculum: Agricultural, Forest and Environmental Science

Tutor: Prof. Donatella Battaglia

Title of the project

The effects of thermal stresses on aphids and their natural enemies

Aims of the project

The main aims of this project are to assess (a) the effect of stressful high temperatures on vitality, reproduction and longevity of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, (b) the effect of parasitism of the wasp Aphidius ervi on pea aphid thermal resistance, (c) the effects of multiple heat exposures and parasitization on pea aphid thermal resistance, and (d) the effect of temperature on the predation activity of the aphidophagous ladybird Hippodamia variegata on aphid colonies hosting parasitized aphids.

Publications

TROTTA V., FORLANO P., FALABELLA P., BATTAGLIA D. & FANTI P., 2018.The aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum exhibits a greater survival after a heat shock when parasitized by the wasp Aphidius ervi. Journal of Thermal Biology, 72, 53-58.

DURAN PRIETO J., TROTTA V., DI NARDO E., FORLANO P., FANTI P. & BATTAGLIA D., 2018. Intraguild predation between Macrolophus pygmaeus and Aphidius ervi. Bulletin of Insectology, 71(1), 113-120.

Trotta T., Toma I. Forlano P., Fanti P., Durán Prieto J., Battaglia D. 2021. The age of tomato plants affects the development of Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas, 1878) (Hemiptera) colonies. Agronomía Colombiana 39(1), 3-XXX. Doi: 10.15446/agron.colomb.v39n1.89301

E-mail: pierluigi.forlano@unibas.it