Behavioral ecology and resource use of an invasive pest, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura)

Oviposition preference and behavior play a major role in pest control strategies. Methods that lower, but don’t eliminate a pest from an area may not necessarily reduce crop loss in low damage threshold crops, such as caneberries. Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) is an invasive pest of soft berry crops that has spread globally within the last five years. Its short generation time and high fecundity make this fly a significant economic concern for growers. Anecdotal evidence suggests D. suzukii females may be more likely to oviposit in fruit that contain conspecific larvae. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted to explore the effect of female density and level of fruit infestation on oviposition. Experimental results and implications will be discussed.