The invasive spotted wing drosophila Drosophila suzukii, a fruit fly of Asian origin, is a major pest of a wide variety of berry and stone fruits in Europe. One of the characteristics of this fly is its wide host range. A better knowledge of its host range outside cultivated areas is essential to develop sustainable integrated pest management strategies. Field surveys were carried out during two years in Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Fruits of 165 potential host plant species were collected, including mostly wild and ornamental plants. Over 24,000 D. suzukii adults emerged from 84 plant species belonging to 19 families, 38 of which being non-native. Forty-two plants were reported for the first time as hosts of D. suzukii. The highest infestations were found in fruits of the genera Cornus, Prunus, Rubus, Sambucus and Vaccinium as well as in Ficus carica, Frangula alnus, Phytolacca americana and Taxus baccata. Based on these data, management methods are suggested. Ornamental and hedge plants in the vicinity of fruit crops and orchards can be selected according to their susceptibility to D. suzukii. However, the widespread availability and abundance of non-crop hosts and the lack of efficient native parasitoids suggest the need for an area-wide control approach.
The invasiveness of Drosophila suzukii Matsumura is causing sizable damage to soft fruits and cherry. In order to define a targeted strategy for D. suzukii management, it is important to have access to highly sensitive trapping tools for detection, monitoring and control that are also selective, practical in use, economic, and with low environmental impact. The aim of this study was to compare different combinations of traps and lures to define a best practice approach for D. suzukii monitoring in Italy, extended over a wide elevational gradient and landscape complexity. The high attractiveness was not always combined with high selectivity, as in some cases up to 95% of the Drosophila spp. captured were belonging to species different from D. suzukii. The commercial Droso‐Trap was very efficient providing high capture ability. Overall, the most attractive lure was Droskidrink while Suzukii Trap was the most selective one. Lure attractiveness and selectivity, however, changed during the season in relation to environmental temperatures and phenological developmental stages, suggesting the need for implementing different lures in different periods and for the different purposes (monitoring or mass trapping). In terms of trap management, Droskidrink showed the problem of bacterial‐gel formation, while Suzukii Trap and Pherocon SWD were easier to handle as they did not need to be checked at weekly interval. Finally, these results were gathered to convey the most efficient combination of trap and bait able to efficiently perform mass trapping and attract and kill technique.
Semi‐natural areas may promote Drosophila suzukii population dynamics by providing alternative host resources, overwintering habitats and refuge areas during cold, warm or dry periods, or when crops are sprayed with insecticides. In the present study, we investigated the spillover of D. suzukii between noncrop and crop areas using sweet cherry as a model crop. We sampled the pest at different heights and at different distances from the forest, from the the winter dormancy stage to the post‐harvest period. Drosophila suzukii activity‐density in the orchards declined strongly with increasing distance from the forest margin and with increasing height above the ground. The observed patterns varied over the crop phenological development stages, indicating that the pest used multiple habitats throughout the year. When the host plant was not suitable for reproduction, D. suzukii preferred to fly closer to the forest margin and at lower heights. When the host plant was suitable (i.e. ripe cherries), D. suzukii further colonized the orchards both horizontally and vertically, exploring the canopy volume more in depth. The results of the present study will contribute to the development of more effective and practical approaches for protecting fruit crops from D. suzukii and improving chemical, physical or mechanical control measures.
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