Past professor in General and Applied Entomology at the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna.
He starts to work, as a research entomologist at Bologna Institute of Entomology, in 1972 after the degree in Agricultural Sciences. In 1974, he took a post-graduate degree in Phytopathology. He won a one-year fellowship to study Ostrinia nubilalis sex pheromone at ISU, Ames, and USDA, ARS, Corn Insects Research Unit, Ankeny, Iowa, USA. He contributed to the project of building the first commercial insectary in Italy. He carried out experiments on biological control. The Integrated Pest Management was another topic of interest, particularly on moth semiochemicals. He carried out studies on the negative side effects of pesticides on Apoidea.
In 1992, he started to teach at the Università Politecnica delle Marche, then in 1996, he lectured several courses related to applied entomology at Bologna University.
Since 2000 as a full professor, he lectured continuously at PhD and master students until retirement, in 2018. He is currently a honorary professor (PAM. Professor Alma Mater) and Managing Director of “Bulletin of Insectology”.
He published, alone or in collaboration, more than 280 papers.

KLUN J. A., MAINI S., 1979. Genetic basis of an insect chemical communication system: the European corn borer – Environmental Entomology, 8: 423-426.

CELLI G., MAINI S., NICOLI G., 1991. La fabbrica degli insetti – franco muzzio & c. editore spa, Padova: 208 pp.

TOMMASINI M. G., MAINI S., 1995. Frankliniella occidentalis and other thrips harmful to vegetable and ornamentals crops in Europe – Wageningen Agricultural University Papers, 95-1: 1-42.

MAINI S., MEDRZYCKI P., PORRINI C., 2010. The puzzle of honey bee losses: a brief review- Bulletin of Insectology, 63 (1): 153-160.

CAMERINI G., MAINI S., RIEDEL M., 2018. Ostrinia nubilalis parasitoids in Northern Italy: past and present – Biological Control, 122: 76-83.

SGOLASTRA F., MEDRZYCKI P., BORTOLOTTI L., MAINI S., PORRINI C., SIMON-DELSO N., BOSCH J., 2020. Bees and pesticide regulation: lessons from the neonicotinoid experience – Biological Conservation, 241