Reproductive Status of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Females Influences Attraction to Fermentation-Based Baits and Ripe Fruits

Authors

Katharine A. Swoboda-Bhattarai, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Douglas R. McPhie, North Carolina State University
Hannah Burrack, North Carolina State University,Follow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2017

Citation

Published in Journal of Economic Entomology, 110:4 (2017), pp 1648–1652.

doi 10.1093/jee/tox150

Comments

Copyright © 2017 Katharine A. Swoboda-Bhattarai, Douglas R. McPhie, and Hannah J. Burrack. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf

Abstract

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) is an invasive species that is a devastating pest of soft-skinned fruit crops. Although much effort has been directed toward developing traps and attractants to monitor for D. suzukii, current monitoring tools do not reliably predict fruit infestation. The objective of this study was to determine if D. suzukii females at different developmental stages are differentially attracted to monitoring traps with fermentation-based baits and ripe fruits. Females were collected on the surface of traps, within traps, and on ripe fruits during three experiments at field locations in North Carolina, USA, and were dissected to determine their reproductive status. In general, females collected on ripe fruits were more likely to have mature eggs present in their ovaries and had higher numbers of mature eggs than females collected on the surface of or within monitoring traps. The results of this study have implications for D. suzukii monitoring and the development of effective baits for use in integrated pest management programs.