Biologist. Faculty of Sciences, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. 2008.
PhD in Biologist Sciences. Faculty of Sciences, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. 2014.
Post-doctorate: Laboratory of Social Insects. University of Buenos Aires. 2015-2017.
Current positions
Researcher in Institute of Research in Agricultural and Environmental Biosciences (INBA - CONICET UBA)
Research interests
Physiology and learning of bumblebees of the genus Bombus
Ecology and pollination services in bumblebees
Native pollinators
Chemical ecology
Publications in refereed journals (last 5 years)
Palottini, F., Lucia, A., Martinez, E., Balbuena, M.S. (2025). Volatile Organic Compounds Release Under Threat in Bumblebees: Chemical Identification and Antennal Detection”. Journal of Chemical Ecology 51, 74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-025-01627-w
Verellen, F., Palottini, F. Estravis-Barcala, M.C., Farina, W.M. (2025). Sugar conditioning combined with nectar nonsugar compounds enhances honey bee pollen foraging in a nectarless diocious crop. Scientific Reports,15(1), 1756. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85494-1
Palottini, F., Fernández, C., Balbuena, M.S. (2024). Antennal sensilla pattern distribution and odor detection in Bombus pauloensis foragers (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Apidologie 55, 83 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-024-01123-2
Nery, D., Palottini, F., Farina, W.M. (2024). The South American Black Bumblebee (Bombus pauloensis) as a Potential Pollinator of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Agriculture, 14(12), 2192. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14122192
Estravis-Barcala, M.C.; Palottini, F.; Verellen, F.; González A., Farina, W.M. (2024). Sugar‑conditioned honey bees can be biased towards a nectarless dioecious crop. Scientific reports 14:18263 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-67917-7
Farina, W.M.; Arenas, A.; Estravis-Barcala, M.C. y Palottini, F. (2023). Targeted crop pollination by training honey bees: advances and perspectives. Front. Bee Sci. 1:1253157. doi: 10.3389/frbee.2023.1253157.
Farina, W.M.; Palottini F.; Estravis Barcala M.C.; Arenas, A.; Balbuena, MS and González A. (2023). Conditioning honeybees to a specific mimic odor increases foraging activity on a self-compatible almond variety. Apidologie 54:40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-023-01019-7. Los 3 primeros autores contribuyeron de igual manera en este trabajo (aclaración que figura en el manuscrito).
Estravis Barcala M.C.; Palottini F. and Farina W.M. (2021). Learning of a mimic odor combined with nectar nonsugar compounds enhances honeybee pollination of a commercial crop. Scientific reports, 11(1):1-8. https://doi.org/ 10.1038/s41598-021-03305-9. Los 2 primeros autores contribuyeron de igual manera en este trabajo (aclaración que figura en el manuscrito publicado).
Estravis Barcala M.C.; Palottini F.; Macri I.; Nery D. and Farina W.M. (2021). Managed honeybees and South American bumblebees exhibit complementary foraging patterns in highbush blueberry. Scientific reports, 11, 8187. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-87729-3.
Marchi, I.L.; Palottini F. and Farina W.M. (2021). Combined secondary compounds naturally found in nectars enhance honeybee cognition and survival. Journal of Experimental Biology, 224(6), jeb239616. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.239616.
Grad Students
Total number of Doctoral or Master degrees: 2 as co-director.
Management of research projects (last 5 years) (as director)
Project PICT 020-SERIEA-02055. “Chemical ecology of native pollinating bees of economic and ecological interest. Odors that mediate intra- and interspecific interactions between social and solitary species.”, (PICT developing group 2020).
Project PIP Research group, 2023-2025. “Chemical cues mediating intra- and interspecific interactions of native, social, and solitary bees. Project PICT 01-
PICT 2022-2022-02-00818. Study of the lateralization phenomenon in the olfaction of the native bumblebee Bombus pauloensis (Hymenoptera: Apidae).
Postgraduate courses
At the Faculty of Sciences- UBA
2023- Chemical Ecology: The Chemistry of Biological Interactions. Theoretical–practical postgraduate course, Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Buenos Aires. Doctoral credit: 3 points. Organized by Drs. Andrés González Ritzel, Walter Farina, Florencia Palottini, and Adriana Kolender. Organizing Instructor; February–March 2023.
2022- Topics in Insect Physiology and Behavior. Undergraduate/Postgraduate course, Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Buenos Aires. Invited researcher contributing to laboratory/practical activities.
2019- Chemical Ecology: The Chemistry of Biological Interactions. Theoretical postgraduate course, Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Buenos Aires. Doctoral credit: 1 point. Organized by Drs. Andrés González Ritzel, Walter Farina, and Florencia Palottini. Organizing instructor, March 2019.
