Federico Ronchetti, PhD

I am a young researcher with a strong passion for parasitic wasps (I have two wasps tattooed on my left arm!), entomology and evolutionary biology.

That's my motto: "If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito" (Dalai Lama)

• Beekeeping: I have done a course to manage honeybees and I have two hives
• Swimming: I love swimming, especially in open waters
• Photography: I am learning some skills to become a good naturalistic photographer

List of publications:

• Ronchetti, F., Schmitt, T., Keller, A., García-Reina, A., De la Rua, P., Steffan-Dewenter, I., Polidori, C. (2025) accepted, in revision. The significance of genetic relatedness and nest sharing on the worker-worker similarity of gut bacterial microbiome and cuticular hydrocarbon profile in a sweat bee - Ecology and Evolution
• Gil-Tapetado, D., Ferrari, A., Ronchetti, F., & Polidori, C. (2024). Distribution widening of a ground-nesting social bee across Europe favored by climate change and urban setting. Apidologie, 55(3), 35.
• Cattaneo, G. M., Varotto-Boccazzi, I., Molteni, R., Ronchetti, F., Gabrieli, P., Mendoza-Roldan, J.A., Otranto D., Montomoli E., Bandi C., & Epis, S. (2024). A novel chemically defined medium for the biotechnological and biomedical exploitation of the cell factory Leishmania tarentolae. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 9562.
• Polidori, C., Rodrigo-Gómez, S., Ronchetti, F., Ferrari, A., Selfa, J., & Gil-Tapetado, D. (2024). Sunny, hot and humid nesting locations with diverse vegetation benefit Osmia bees nearby almond orchards in a mediterranean area. Journal of Insect Conservation, 28(1), 57-73.
• Polidori, C., Ferrari, A., Ronchetti, F., Tommasi, N., & Nalini, E. (2023). Warming up through buildings and roads: What we know and should know about the Urban Heat Island effect on bees. Frontiers in Bee Science, 1, 1269600.
• Polidori, C., Ferrari, A., Borruso, L., Mattarelli, P., Dindo, M. L., Modesto, M., Carrieri, M., Puggioli, A., Ronchetti F. & Bellini, R. (2023). Aedes albopictus microbiota: Differences between wild and mass-reared immatures do not suggest negative impacts from a diet based on black soldier fly larvae and fish food. Plos one, 18(9), e0292043.
• Ronchetti, F., Schmitt, T., Romano, M., & Polidori, C. (2023). Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles in velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) are highly complex and do not chemically mimic their hosts. Chemoecology, 33(1), 29-43.
• Ronchetti, F., Schmitt, T., Negri, A., Gabrieli, P., Epis, S., Bandi, C., Romano, M., & Polidori, C. (2023). Evidence of cuticular hydrocarbon profile alterations by Wolbachia in females, but not males, of an aculeate parasitoid wasp. Entomologia Generalis, 43(2).
• Polidori, C., Gabrieli, P., Arnoldi, I., Negri, A., Soresinetti, L., Faggiana, S., Ferrari, A., Ronchetti, F., Brilli, M., Bandi, C., & Epis, S. (2023). Morphological and molecular insights into the diversity of Leptoconops biting midges from a heavily infested Mediterranean area. Current Research in Parasitology & Vector-Borne Diseases, 4, 100142.
• Ronchetti, F., Polidori, C., Schmitt, T., Steffan-Dewenter, I., & Keller, A. (2022). Bacterial gut microbiomes of aculeate brood parasites overlap with their aculeate hosts’, but have higher diversity and specialization. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 98(12), fiac137.
• Polidori, C., Piwczynski, M., Ronchetti, F., Johnston, N. P., & Szpila, K. (2022). Host-trailing satellite flight behaviour is associated with greater investment in peripheral visual sensory system in miltogrammine flies. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 2773.
• Ronchetti, F., & Polidori, C. (2020). A sting affair: A global quantitative exploration of bee, wasp and ant hosts of velvet ants. PLoS One, 15(9), e0238888.

Book chapters:

• Polidori, C., Romano, M., & Ronchetti, F. (2024). The Metal-enriched Head Cuticle of Velvet Ants (Mutillidae): A New Special Feature of the “Indestructible Insects”. In Metals and their Functional Role in the Structures of Invertebrates (pp. 27-43). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
• Polidori, C., Ronchetti, F., Ferrari., A. (in press) Biology and behaviour of European wild bees. Chapter in: HIDDEN and WILD: Integrated approaches and investigations on European wild bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea). Springer. 139

Oral contributes (Congresses):

• Ronchetti F., Schmitt T., Keller A., Steffan-Dewenter I., Polidori C. Exploring the evolution of gut microbiome in aculeate Hymenoptera: the potential role of diet and society. XIX Congress Italian Section of IUSSI (AISASP) - Milan, Italy 2023
• Worker-worker similarity of both gut microbiome and cuticular hydrocarbon profile is higher between nestmates rather than between sisters in a eusocial sweat bee with heavy nest-drifting behaviour. DGaaE Entomology Congress - Bozen, Italy 2023
• Ronchetti F., Schmitt T., Keller A., Polidori C., Steffan-Dewenter I. Bacterial gut microbiome of aculeate brood parasites: diversity, specialization and overlap with their aculeate hosts. XIX IUSSI International Union for the Study of Social Insects, San Diego (USA) 2022
• Polidori C., Ronchetti F., Schmitt T., de la Rua P., García-Reina A., Keller A. Relationship between cuticular chemical profile and intestinal microbiome in Halictus scabiosae, an eusocial bee whose workers frequently change nests. XVIII Congress Italian Section of IUSSI (AISASP) Sassari, Italy 2022
• Ronchetti F., Schmitt T., Keller A., Polidori C., Steffan-Dewenter I. Bacterial gut microbiome of aculeate brood parasites: diversity, specialization and overlap with their aculeate hosts. XII AISASP Student Meeting (online) 2022
• Ronchetti F., Polidori C., Schmitt T., Negri A., Gabrieli P., Epis S., Bandi C. Wolbachia alters the cuticular hydrocarbon profile of females, but not males, of an aculeate parasitoid wasp. Comunicazione orale, XI AISASP Student Meeting (online) 2021
• Ronchetti F., Schmitt T., Wehrhan M., Romano M., Polidori C. The chemical profile of velvet ants, parasitoids of social and solitary bees. XVII Congress Italian Section of IUSSI (AISASP)

Poster contributes (Congresses)

• Ronchetti F., Borsotti A., Epis S., Polidori C. Route of transmission and tissue localization of Wolbachia in a parasitoid wasp and its primitively eusocial bee host. European IUSSI - Lousanne, Switzerland 2024
• Ronchetti F., Cattaneo G., Riccardo M., Gabrieli P., Bandi C., Epis S. Leishmania tarentolae as a veichle for the delivery of RNA molecules to Antigen Presenting Cells: proof-of-principle using fluorescent siRNAALIVE, Animal Leishmaniosis International Veterinary Event. Nice, France 2024
• Ronchetti F., Cattaneo G., Riccardo M., Gabrieli P., Bandi C., Epis S. Leishmania tarentolae as a veichle for the delivery of RNA molecules to Antigen Presenting Cells: proof-of-principle using fluorescent siRNA. 1st PROGRESS MEETING AND DISSEMINATION Spoke 8 – Platforms for RNA/DNA delivery Naples, Italy 2023
• Ronchetti F., Polidori C., Schmitt T., Negri A., Gabrieli P., Epis S., Bandi C. The endosymbiont Wolbachia alters the chemical profile of males, but not females, in a parasitoid wasp. 81 National Zoology Italian Union Congress (UZI) - Trieste, Italy 2022
• Polidori C. & Ronchetti F. The Metal-enriched Head Cuticle of Velvet Ants (Mutillidae). Poster, 81° Congresso Nazionale dell’Unione Zoologica Italiana, Trieste, Italy 2022
• Ronchetti F. & Polidori C. Weak but significant specialization in host use by parasitoid wasps of the family Mutillidae. Poster, 80° Congresso Nazionale dell’Unione Zoologica Italiana - Rome, Italy 2019
• Polidori C., Szpila K., Ronchetti F. Do visual and olfactory systems vary with host-finding behaviour in miltogrammine flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae)? Poster, 80 National Zoology Italian Union Congress (UZI) - Rome, Italy 2019
• Romero D., Ornosa C., Ronchetti F., Polidori C. Spatial arrangement of nests in ground-nesting bees: the role of nest density. Poster, XVIII Congreso Ibérico de Entomología - Madrid, Spain 2019
• Ronchetti F., Negri A., Romano M., Schmitt T., Tirloni L., Epis S, Polidori C. Wolbachia endosymbionts in velvet ants: a preliminary analysis of occurrence and variability. European PhD Network "Insect Science" - IX Annual Meeting Florence, Italy 2018
• Ronchetti F. & Polidori C. Spatiotemporal size relationships between the eusocial bee Lasioglossum malachurum and its hymenopteran natural enemies. Poster, Hymenopterologen-Tagung - Stuttgart, Germany 2018