Multistate comparison of attractants and the impact of fruit development stage on trapping Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in raspberry and blueberry

Authors: JAFFE, BENJAMIN - University Of Wisconsin; AVANESYAN, ALINA - University Of Wisconsin; BAL, HARIT - Michigan State University; GRANT, JOSHUA - University Of Georgia; GRIESHOP, MATTHEW - Michigan State University; Lee, Jana; LIBURD, OSCAR - University Of Florida; RHODES, ELENA - University Of Florida; RODRIGUEZ-SAONA, CESAR - Rutgers University; SIAL, ASHFAQ - University Of Georgia; Feng, Yan; Zhang, Aijun; GUEDOT, CHRISTELLE - University Of Wisconsin

Submitted to: Environmental Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/27/2018
Publication Date: 4/14/2018
Citation: Jaffe, B.D., Avanesyan, A., Bal, H.K., Grant, J., Grieshop, M.J., Lee, J.C., Liburd, O.E., Rhodes, E., Rodriguez-Saona, C., Sial, A.A., Feng, Y., Zhang, A., Guedot, C. 2018. Multistate comparison of attractants and the impact of fruit development stage on trapping Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in raspberry and blueberry. Environmental Entomology. https://doi.org/1093/ee/nvy052.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvy052

Interpretive Summary: Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) is an invasive pest in North America, South America, and Europe. It exploits maturing and ripe fruits, destroying the fruit’s marketability. Their proclivity to attack undamaged fruit, along with the absence of effective native biocontrol agents, has made SWD a major pest of concern of soft-skinned fruits. A reliable lure that is highly attractive and specific to this pest is urgently needed for early infestation detection, more efficient timing of treatments, accurate risk assessment, and quantitative evaluation of implemented control methods. Four different SWD attractive lures were tested in bluberry and raspberry orchards in five States in the United States, including Florida, Geogiia, Michigan, Oregon, and Wiscosion during different times of the season. Our results suggest that the lures that included apple juice chemicals were most specific to SWD, but sugar based lures were the best overall lure we tested for monitoring SWD population. This information will help researchers and growers develop more effective strategies to manage SWD population levels, allowing for timely pest management interventions, therefore, reducing conventional insecticide usage and protecting our environment and ecosystem.

Technical Abstract: Spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, is an invasive pest of maturing and ripe soft-skinned fruits in the United States. D. suzukii monitoring is a necessary component of an effective integrated pest management program, but require a lure that is highly attractive and as specific to D. suzukii as possible. Lures that meet these criteria, particularly early in the season are still being developed. In this study, we combined several previously tested lures with fermenting volatiles to determine any improvements on the specificity and attractiveness from previously described D. suzukii lures. We also measured the relative efficiency of baits/lures during different times of the season; the specificity of baits/lures to D. suzukii; the reproductive status of females between baits/lures; and any effects across five states and two different types of soft-skinned fruit crops. We developed a reproductive potential metric that combined mating status and fat content to determine any differences in types of females attracted. Lures utilizing yeast and sugar (YS) based volatiles trapped the most D. suzukii. The addition of a Scentry commercial lure to the YS increased the trap catch in most states, but was also the least specific to D. suzukii. In general, lures that included apple juice chemicals were most specific to D. suzukii. Simpler lures tended to trap more D. suzukii with a higher reproductive potential. Trap catch and D. suzukii specificity was lower during fruit development than fruit ripening. While trap catch amounts varied by state and fruit crops, the overall trap catches and the relative attractiveness of each treatment were similar across these variables. Our results suggest that yeast and sugar based lures were the best overall lure we tested for monitoring D. suzukii, however, further work needs to be done to improve early season monitoring and elucidate the effect of mating and physiological status on bait attraction.