To further the use of local parasitoids to control the spotted wing drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) in Mexico, three treatments were implemented by sextuplicate in commercial berry fields of Colima and Jalisco from June 2017 to May 2018: single release of Trichopria drosophilae Perkins (pupal parasitoid), combined release of T. drosophilae + Leptopilina boulardi Barbotin, Carton & Kelner-Pillault (larval parasitoid), and a no release control. Compared with the no release sites, parasitism by T. drosophilae increased 4 and 4.1-fold at the single and combined release sites, respectively, and parasitism of L. boulardi increased 2.8-fold at the sites where it was evaluated. Additionally, it was registered a 50 and 55% reduction of D. suzukii at the sites with single and combined releases, respectively; in other words, supplementing T. drosophilae with L. boulardi provided little benefit compared with the release of T. drosophilae alone. These results indicate that single release of local T. drosophilae is a more cost-effective option to reduce D. suzukii populations, and that such activity can contribute significantly to the phytosanitary management of this invasive pest.

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By April 2016, 22 out of the 24 citrus-producing states in Mexico had confirmed the presence of 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (C. Las) in citrus trees and in the vector Diaphorina citri. The dissemination of C. Las in space and time is the result of a complex interaction between the host, the associated pathogen, the vector and the environment. During 22 months (July 2012-April 2014), the seasonal variation of C. Las in D. citri populations was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in lime orchards at six locations in two municipalities in the state of Colima, Mexico. Results showed that the proportion of positive psyllids was very high throughout the year (overall incidence of 58.2%) with seasonal variability in the proportion of positive adults, whereby winter and spring have the highest levels. These periods mark the cooccurrence of a high density of potentially infective psyllids on a susceptible host with continual generation of new shoots, and optimal environmental conditions in the Pacific region.

Four local parasitoids of spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), were collected in Mexico in 2013–2015. To increase insectary production of the fly for mass rearing of its parasitoids, a wheat germ diet that uses low‐cost ingredients was optimized through the orthogonal array L9 (34, i.e., four controllable factors with three levels each) (Taguchi method). The resulting optimized diet consisted of 12 ml ethyl alcohol, 36 g maize flour, 45 g table sugar, and 42 g brewer's yeast. Confirmation tests indicated that this diet produced 33.9, 87.0, and 78.6% more larvae, pupae, and adults, respectively, than the old version (non‐optimized wheat germ recipe) but there were no statistical differences in sex ratio, hind tibia length of females, and developmental time from egg to adult. Additionally, the optimized diet had a similar performance in most of the evaluated parameters (same as in the confirmation tests) compared to banana, the current host of the D. suzukii colony. These results indicate that an improved wheat germ diet is available to rear this fly, which will facilitate the rearing of its local parasitoids.

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