I come from Portopalo di C.P. (Sicily). I graduated at the University of Catania where I obtained a Bachelor (2016) and a Master (2019) degree in Agricultural Sciences and Technologies. The title of my Master thesis is “The ingestion of neurotoxic insecticide sublethal doses affects the orientation capacity of Drosophila suzukii”. During my MS experimental period, I had the opportunity to work in the biocontrol laboratory of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the University of Catania with great constancy, were I maintained the colonies Drosophila suzukii and D. melanogaster, and of their main pupal parasitoids.

During my studies I became passionate in entomology, especially in the applied field. I am very motivated in studying and conducting novel researches, particularly if linked with the sustainable control of current entomological emergences, finding very interesting the study of bio-ecology parasitoids.

PhD project: Classical Biological control of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Halyomorpha halys, using the native parasitoids Trissolcus japonicus and Trissolcus mitsukurii

Department and supervisor: University of Trento, C3A (supervisor: prof. Gianfranco Anfora)

Email address: marica.scala@unitn.it; marica.scala@fmach.it