Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Poplarville, Mississippi » Southern Horticultural Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #284015

Title: Spotted wing drosophila: a new invasive pest of Mississippi berries

Author
item Sampson, Blair
item Adamczyk, John
item STAFNE, ERIC - Mississippi State University
item Stringer, Stephen
item Shaw, Donna

Submitted to: Trade Journal Publication
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/16/2012
Publication Date: 7/18/2012
Citation: Sampson, B.J., Adamczyk Jr, J.J., Stafne, E., Stringer, S.J., Marshall, D.A. 2012. Spotted wing drosophila: a new invasive pest of Mississippi berries. Trade Journal Publication. 3:5-11.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) Drosophila suzukii, a native fly of Southeast Asia, is a widely reported and highly invasive pest of fruit crops in North America and Mediterranean Europe. Between 2010 and 2011, SWD was confirmed in most States in eastern North America. During this same period, SWD was first reported in Mississippi, but in 2012, the fly began to destroy sizeable portions of blackberry, strawberry, and blueberry crops. Blackberries and strawberries were the most heavily infested with rates as high as 95% in our small experimental plots. Blueberry infestations were more modest, ranging from 5% to 50% in a few fields. However, our monitoring stations indicate that SWD populations steadily grow as the harvest season progresses from May - July. Given the potential for unchecked populations of this tiny to destroy thin-skinned berry crops, we present a review of this pest's biology and the latest methods for its monitoring and control in the southeastern US.