Comparison of commercial lures and food baits for early detection of fruit infestation risk by Drosophila suzukii

Authors: Cha, Dong; HESLER, STEVE - Cornell University; WALLINGFORD, ANNA - Cornell University; ZAMAN, FARUQUE - Cornell University; JENTSCH, PETER - Cornell University; NYROP, JAN - Cornell University; LOEB, GREGORY - Cornell University

Submitted to: Journal of Pest Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/12/2017
Publication Date: 1/21/2018
Citation: Cha, D.H., Hesler, S.P., Wallingford, A.K., Zaman, F., Jentsch, P., Nyrop, J., Loeb, G.M. 2018. Comparison of commercial lures and food baits for early detection of fruit infestation risk by Drosophila suzukii. Journal of Pest Science. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/tox369.

Interpretive Summary: First recorded in 2008, spotted wing drosophila (SWD) has become a major pest of berries and cherries in the U.S. and Europe. Weekly rotation of different classes of insecticide is the currently recommended approach for managing SWD, but development of resistance is a serious concern. In northern latitudes where SWD is not present or detectable in the early part of the growing season, the initiation of SWD chemical control may be delayed until monitoring traps detect their presence. Researchers at the USDA-ARS laboratory in Hilo, HI and Cornell University in NY are testing whether the currently available commercial lures (Scentry and Trécé) and homemade baits (bread-dough and apple cider vinegar) are effective in detecting SWD prior to the detection of SWD infestation. In blueberries both commercial lures tested and the bread-dough bait were effective at detecting SWD 11-21 days earlier than the onset of fruit infestation, although in raspberries only the Scentry lure detected SWD the same week as the onset of SWD infestation. This information provides new avenues of research to develop more sustainable SWD management systems for US berry and cherry growers.

Technical Abstract: Drosophila suzukii is one of the most serious invasive pests of berries and cherries worldwide. Several adult monitoring systems are available to time foliar application of insecticides with the expectation of detecting the presence of D.suzukii before they infest susceptible crops. We tested this by comparing four different trapping systems based on two homemade baits, apple cider vinegar (ACV) or fermenting dough, and two fermentation volatile-based commercial lures, Scentry and Trécé. Traps baited with dough or Scentry captured more D.suzukii than traps baited with ACV or Trécé in blueberries and traps baited with Trécé in raspberries. In blueberries, traps baited with Scentry, Trécé and dough provided 11-21 days of warning prior to first detection of fruit infestation. However, these traps were not as effective in summer floricane raspberries. The Scentry lure baited traps detected D.suzukii on the same week as the first detection of fruit infestation and other trapping systems detected the fly 4 to 11 days after the first detection, suggesting the need for an improved D.suzukii detection system in raspberreis. Both synthetic lures (Scentry and Trécé) were significantly more selective for D.suzukii than dough bait, although the selectivity of all four tested lures/baits were relatively low at < 20%. Our results suggest that in locations where D.suzukii adults are not trapped in late winter and spring, adult monitoring of D.suzukii using a sensitive trapping system may provide early warning of pending infestation risk thereby potentially reducing unnecessary insecticide applications.