Nato a Brescia nel 1967, come la maggior parte degli entomologi ha cominciato a interessarsi di insetti sin dall’infanzia. Dal 1983 ha concentrato i propri interessi sui Coleoptera Scarabaeoidea, specializzandosi poi, a partire dal 1995, nella sistematica, biogeografia ed ecologia dei Ceratocanthinae (Scarabaeoidea Hybosoridae) mondiali, anche se continua a mantenere un generale interesse verso gli Scarabaeoidea italiani. Si occupa anche di nomenclatura zoologica e conservazione degli insetti, con particolare riferimento agli aspetti normativi e alle politiche di conservazione. Dal 2006 è membro del Consiglio Direttivo della Società Entomologica Italiana. Nel 2009 è stato eletto Commissioner della International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, incarico che tuttora ricopre. Ha svolto ricerche sul campo in Italia, Grecia, Turchia, Malesia, Australia, Nuova Caledonia, Brasile, Ecuador, Cile e soprattutto nelle nazioni dell’Africa: Gabon, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Namibia e Sud 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 Pseudopterorthochaetes (Coleoptera: Hybosoridae). Fragmenta entomologica 48(1): 33-52.

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.