Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #360525
Research Project: Biologically-based Management of Arthropod Pests in Small Fruit and Nursery Crops

Location: Horticultural Crops Research Unit

Title: Biological control of spotted-wing drosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae) - Current and pending tactics

Author
item Lee, Jana
item Wang, Xingeng
item DAANE, KENT - University Of California
item Hoelmer, Kim
item ISAACS, RUFUS - Michigan State University
item SIAL, ASH - University Of Georgia
item WALTON, VAUGHN - Oregon State University

Submitted to: Journal of Integrated Pest Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/3/2019
Publication Date: 5/3/2019
Citation: Lee, J.C., Wang, X., Daane, K.M., Hoelmer, K.A., Isaacs, R., Sial, A., Walton, V. 2019. Biological control of spotted-wing drosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae) - Current and pending tactics. Journal of Integrated Pest Management. 10(1):1-9. https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmz012.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmz012

Interpretive Summary: The spotted wing drosophila (SWD), originally from Asia, has become a global economic pest of small fruits and cherries. Growers have expressed strong interest in biological control and other sustainable tactics to reduce reliance on insecticides. Biological control of SWD has been studied frequently with 70+ publications. This review covers predators, parasitoids, and pathogens (fungi, nematodes, bacteria, viruses), and competitors. When relevant for the natural enemy group, the discussion focuses on the impact each natural enemy is having in fields, how to optimize them, efficacy of products available, and options that may be available on the horizon. Studies are also summarized in tables that can be sorted by species, SWD life stage targeted, outcomes, lab/field trials, and studies that examined residual, dose or other effects.

Technical Abstract: The spotted wing drosophila (often referred to as SWD), Drosophila suzukii Matsumura (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is pest of small fruits and cherries. Originally from Asia, SWD has invaded North and South America and Europe causing economic damage. While SWD is commonly controlled by insecticides, such usage has led to secondary pest outbreaks and raised concerns about insecticide resistance, health and environmental impacts. Consequently, researchers have been developing more effective IPM tools. To name a few, these include semiochemicals, cultural methods, exlusion, cold treatment of post-harvest fruits, and sugars or behavior-modifying compounds that are being developed as organic products. Biological control is a favored approach with 70+ studies published for SWD, including reviews on sustainable approaches. Naturally-occurring or introduced biological control agents have the advantage of suppressing SWD populations in non-crop areas, and thereby improve area-wide management by reducing SWD populations that colonize crop fields. While there is ample information and products promoted online for SWD, it is still difficult for growers and homeowners to decide how to incorporate biological control in their systems. Thus, this article reviews publications to-date and provides summary tables on predators, parasitoids, and pathogens (fungi, nematodes, bacteria, virus), and competitors. As each natural enemy is covered, we address the impact they are having in fields, published efficacy of products available, and other options that may be available in the future.