Born in Brescia (1967), like many entomologists his interest towards insects dates back to his childhood. In 1983 he started to focus on Coleoptera Scarabaeoidea and since 1995 he has been specialized in the systematics, biogeography and ecology of world Ceratocanthinae (Scarabaeoidea Hybosoridae), although still working also on Italian Scarabaeoidea. Besides beetles he is interested in insect conservation, with special emphasis on the legal and political sides of the topic, and in zoological nomenclature. He has been member of the board of directors of the Società Entomologica Italiana since 2006. In 2009 he was elected Commissioner of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, a position he still holds. He has carried out fieldwork in Italy, Greece, Turkey, Malaysia, Australia, New Caledonia, Brazil, Ecuador, Chile and, above all, in Tropical and Austral Africa: Gabon, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Namibia and South Africa.
Grebennikov, V. V., A. Ballerio, F. C. Ocampo & C. H. Scholtz. 2004. Larvae of Ceratocanthidae and Hybosoridae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea): study of morphology, phylogenetic analysis and evidence of paraphyly of Hybosoridae. Systematic Entomology 29:524-543.
Ballerio A. & Wagner, T. 2005. Ecology and diversity of canopy associated Ceratocanthidae (Insecta: Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) in an Afrotropical Rainforest. (pp. 125-132) In: Huber, B. A., Sinclair, B. J. & Lampe, K. H. (eds.) African Biodiversity. Molecules, Organisms, Ecosystems. Springer 443 pp.
Ballerio A., A. Rey, M. Uliana, M. Rastelli, S. Rastelli, M. Romano & L. Colacurcio. 2010. Coleotteri Scarabeoidei d’Italia. Piccole Faune. DVD.
Ballerio A. & V. V. Grebennikov, 2016. Rolling into a ball: phylogeny of the Ceratocanthinae (Coleoptera: Hybosoridae) inferred from adult morphology and single origin of an unique body enrollment coaptation in terrestrial arthropods. Arthropod Systematics and Phylogeny 74(1): 23-52.
Ballerio A. 2016 A first phylogenetic appraisal of two allied genera of Afrotropical Ceratocanthinae: Melanophilharmostes and Pseudopterorth.