Alternative method in identification of spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii, is a fairly new invasive pest damaging small fruit throughout the United States since 2008.  Trap monitoring detected the presence of this pest in several Arkansas counties in 2012. Unlike other Drosophila spp. that feed on decaying fruit, this species causes damage to ripening, soft-skinned fruit. Efficient monitoring and identification of SWD presence aid in timing insecticide sprays that prevent economic damage. Misidentification of this pest can occur when using only adult morphological features such as wing spots and presence of front leg combs on males or a serrated ovipositor in females. There are no methods to identify SWD larvae. This project was conducted to determine if molecular diagnostics could be used to identify SWD among other Drosophila spp. flies captured in the traps or SWD larvae in fruit samples.