Professore Ordinario, docente di Entomologia Generale e Applicata, Entomologia della vite e Interazioni negli artropodi.
È coinvolto in ricerche riguardanti: insetti indigeni ed esotici emergenti di interesse agrario, con particolare attenzione alla sistematica, corologia, biologia, etologia, epidemiologia e alla dinamica di popolazione, applicando tecniche innovative di marcatura, di vettori di batteri fitopatogeni che causano malattie di interesse economico; interazioni insetto-batteri, ruolo e modalità di trasmissione di specie note o potenziali vettori; interazioni insetto-simbionti, con particolare attenzione ai batteri simbionti primari e secondari, potenziali agenti di lotta all’insetto ospite o ai batteri fitopatogeni trasmessi attraverso la tecnica del controllo simbiotico; studio dei nemici naturali indigeni ed esotici introdotti per la lotta agli insetti fitofagi di interesse agrario, pianificazione e realizzazione di programmi di lotta biologica, progettazione e realizzazione della lotta biologica classica (propagativa) al cinipide del castagno Dryocosmus kuriphilus mediante il parassitoide Torymus sinensis.
È autore e coautore di numerosi articoli su riviste scientifiche internazionali.
Per i risultati ottenuti con la lotta biologica al cinipide del castagno è Cittadino Onorario dei Comuni di Marradi (FI) e di Nomaglio (TO).

GONELLA E., ORRÙ B., ALMA A. – Egg masses treatment with micronutrient fertilizers has a suppressive effect on newly-emerged nymphs of the brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys. Entomologia Generalis, 3-4, 2019, 231-238.

PICCIAU L., ALMA A., FERRACINI C. – Effect of different feeding sources on lifespan and fecundity in the biocontrol agent Torymus sinensis. Biological Control 134, 2019, 45-52.

GONELLA E., CROTTI E., MANDRIOLI M., DAFFONCHIO D., ALMA A. – Asaia symbionts interfere with infection by Flavescence dorée phytoplasma in leafhoppers. Journal of Pest Science 91, 2018, 1033–1046.

MAZZETTO F., GONELLA E., CROTTI E., VACCHINI V., SYRPAS M., PONTINI M., MANGELINCKX S., DAFFONCHIO D., ALMA A. – Olfactory attraction of Drosophila suzukii by symbiotic acetic acid bacteria. Journal of Pest Science, 2016, 89, 783–792.

TEDESCHI R., PICCIAU L., QUAGLINO F., ABOU-JAWDAH Y., MOLINO LOVA M., JAWHARI M., CASATI P., COMINETTI A., CHOUEIRI E., ABDUL-NOUR H., BIANCO P.A., ALMA A. – A cixiid survey for natural potential vectors of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma phoenicium’ in Lebanon and preliminary transmission trials. Annals of Applied Biology 166, 2015, 372–388.

Full Professor, professor of General and Applied Entomology, Vine Entomology and Interactions in arthropods. He is involved in research concerning: emerging indigenous and exotic insects of agricultural interest, with particular attention to systematics, chorology, biology, ethology, epidemiology and population dynamics, applying innovative marking techniques, of vectors of phytopathogenic bacteria that cause diseases of economic interest; insect-bacteria interactions, role and mode of transmission of known species or putative vectors; insect-symbiotic interactions, with particular attention to primary and secondary symbiotic bacteria, potential agents of control against the host insect or phytopathogenic bacteria transmitted through the technique of symbiotic control; study of the indigenous and exotic natural enemies introduced for the control against phytophagous insects of agricultural interest, planning and realization of biological control programs, design and realization of the classical biological (propagative) control against chestnut gall wasp Dryocosmus kuriphilus through the parasitoid Torymus sinensis.

He is the author and coauthor of numerous articles in international scientific journals.

For the results obtained with the biological control against the chestnut gall wasp, he is an Honorary Citizen of the Municipalities of Marradi (FI) and Nomaglio (TO).

GONELLA E., ORRÙ B., ALMA A. – Egg masses treatment with micronutrient fertilizers has a suppressive effect on newly-emerged nymphs of the brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys. Entomologia Generalis, 3-4, 2019, 231-238.

PICCIAU L., ALMA A., FERRACINI C. – Effect of different feeding sources on lifespan and fecundity in the biocontrol agent Torymus sinensis. Biological Control 134, 2019, 45-52.

GONELLA E., CROTTI E., MANDRIOLI M., DAFFONCHIO D., ALMA A. – Asaia symbionts interfere with infection by Flavescence dorée phytoplasma in leafhoppers. Journal of Pest Science 91, 2018, 1033–1046.

MAZZETTO F., GONELLA E., CROTTI E., VACCHINI V., SYRPAS M., PONTINI M., MANGELINCKX S., DAFFONCHIO D., ALMA A. – Olfactory attraction of Drosophila suzukii by symbiotic acetic acid bacteria. Journal of Pest Science, 2016, 89, 783–792.

TEDESCHI R., PICCIAU L., QUAGLINO F., ABOU-JAWDAH Y., MOLINO LOVA M., JAWHARI M., CASATI P., COMINETTI A., CHOUEIRI E., ABDUL-NOUR H., BIANCO P.A., ALMA A. – A cixiid survey for natural potential vectors of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma phoenicium’ in Lebanon and preliminary transmission trials. Annals of Applied Biology 166, 2015, 372–388.