Simona Bonelli is Associate Professor of Zoology at Dept. of Life Sciences and Systems Biology. She is biologist with a PhD in Agricultural Entomology. She teaches Invertebrate Zoology to students on Biological Science and Invertebrate Conservation in the Master in Environmental Biology of Turin University. SB is cofounder and secretary of A.L.I. the Italian Association of Lepidopterology and member of SEL, the European Society of Lepidopterology, and UZI Italian Union of Zoology. She is member of the IUCN Butterfly Specialist Group.

SB is author of several manuscripts (Scopus: 69; Citations: 1103; H-index: 21; (01/2021), most of them focused on butterfly conservation.

Research interest

Butterfly Vulnerability and Conservation

Eco-ethological aspects (metapopulation, dispersal, oviposition, habitat selection, restoration ecology) of threatened or otherwise invasive species are central in SB research, aiming to build up Action Plans, IUCN assessment and monitoring plans. SB studies the effect of anthropic factors, including climate change, on the populations of butterflies to understand their decline and undertake appropriate and sustainable management policies.

Memberships

Since 2019 SB is part of the Board Committee of the Butterfly Conservation Europe.

Since 2019 SB is the National Coordinator of the European Butterfly Monitoring Scheme

Five relevant publications

Bonelli, S., Barbero, F., Zampollo, A., Cerrato, C., Genovesi, P., & La Morgia, V. (2021). Scaling-up targets for a threatened butterfly: A method to define Favourable Reference Values. Ecological Indicators, 133, 108356.

Bonelli, S., Cerrato, C., Barbero, F., Boiani, M. V., Buffa, G., Casacci, L. P., … & Balletto, E. (2022). Changes in Alpine Butterfly Communities during the Last 40 Years. Insects, 13(1), 43.

Scalercio, S., Cini, A., Menchetti, M., Vodă, R., Bonelli, S., Bordoni, A., … & Dapporto, L. (2020). How long is 3 km for a butterfly? Ecological constraints and functional traits explain high mitochondrial genetic diversity between Sicily and the Italian Peninsula. Journal of Animal Ecology.

Santovito, A., Audisio, M., & Bonelli, S. (2020). A micronucleus assay detects genotoxic effects of herbicide exposure in a protected butterfly species. Ecotoxicology, 29(9), 1390-1398.

Bonelli, S., Casacci, L. P., Barbero, F., Cerrato, C., Dapporto, L., Sbordoni, V., … & Balletto, E. (2018). The first red list of Italian butterflies. Insect Conservation and Diversity, 11(5), 506-521.