Biography, education, position Born in 1974. Italian. Degree in Natural Sciences, University of Padova, 1998, 110/110 cum laude, with a dissertation on morphology and ecology of a population of Salamandra atra aurorae. Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology, University of Padova, 2002, with a dissertation "Segmentation in Mecistocephalid centipedes: from evolution to development" (supervisor Prof. A. Minelli). Associate professor of Zoology at the University of Padova, Department of Biology, since 1 March 2019. Qualified for the position of Full Professor, after the ANVUR National Scientific Qualification, for Zoology and Anthropology, since 19 July 2017. Main scientific interests - Evolution at organismic level, biodiversity, speciation mechanisms, fine-scale geographical differentiation, methodology of integrative taxonomy. - Biodiversity and phylogeny of Chilopoda, with focus on Geophilomorpha. Approaches including morphometrics, molecular analysis, and integrative taxonomy. - Faunistics and ecology of Amphibia and Papilionoidea. Approaches including citizen science. Main collaborative research activities - collaboration to international projects: "A world catalogue of the Centipedes (Chilopoda) for the web" (supported by Global Biological Information Facilities), 2004-2006, in an international team of 9 expert taxonomists; “4D4Life - Distributed Dynamic Diversity Databases for Life” (supported by EU), 2009-2011; “SiiT - School oriented interactive Identification Tools: exploring biodiversity in a cross border area” (supported by EU), 2014; - collaboration as expert zoologist to the national project for the implementation of the Italian Focal Point for the Global Taxonomy Initiative, 2005-2006 (supported by Italian Ministry of Environment); - collaboration in national projects: PRIN on the endemism in the Italian fauna (supported by Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research) 2008-2012, as scientific leader of a research unit; affiliate to the National Biodiversity Future Centre since 2022. - coordination and participation to broad-scale faunistic schemes, including national surveys on amphibians, reptiles, birds, and scientific leader of regional surveys on amphibians, reptiles and butterflies. Scientific publications Author of 67 papers in international peer-reviewed journals (including: Arthropod Structure and Development, Biodiversity Data Journal, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Cladistics, Contributions to Zoology, Cytogenetic and Genome Research, European Journal of Soil Biology, Heredity, Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Organisms Diversity and Evolution, Palaeontology, Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Systematic Entomology, Zoologica Scripta, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Zookeys, Zoologischer Anzeiger, Zoomorphology, Zootaxa). Author of more than 50 other papers in other international or national journals. Author of chapters in monographs, including "Treatise on Zoology - Anatomy, Taxonomy, Biology" (The Myriapoda Volume 1, ed. A. Minelli, 2011) and "Fauna d'Italia" (volume Amphibia, ed. B. Lanza et al., 2007). First author of regional faunistic monographs, including "Atlante degli Anfibi e dei Rettili del Veneto" (2007) and " Farfalle del Veneto: atlante distributivo" (2014). Editor of “ChiloBase 2.0. A World Catalogue of Centipedes (Chilopoda)”.

Curriculum PDF File

(a) Diversity and evolution of Chilopoda: morphology, phylogeny, biodiversity, ecology. (b) Ecology and geographical differentiation of Amphibia and Papilionoidea on the Eastern Alps

Main research programs include: - biodiversity of Centipedes. - faunistics and ecology of terrestrial and amphibian Vertebrates - faunistics and geographical diversity of Butterflies More detailed information on studies and activities recently performed or in progress, also through stages and thesis projects, is given in the web site www.biologia.unipd.it/lucio.bonato. In particular, for the year 2023, theses and stages for students can be developed within the following projects: - diversity and integrative taxonomy of endogean centipedes in forests of the Alps - faunistics and ecology of Butterflies of the south-eastern Prealps, especially on the Dolomiti Bellunesi

Last update: 10/07/2025