Report of the establishment of Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in Central America

Abstract

Over the last decade, high-end fruits such as berries, have faced the impact of Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Yet, none of the countries from Central America has officially reported this pest. We carried out surveys in the blackberry fields of Costa Rica. We placed a proprietary mixture of liquid attractants into red-cup traps with lateral holes, as it has been widely demonstrated as best to capture D. suzukii. Subsequently, we collected both adults and larvae for analysis. The adults were identified using key morphological features of D. suzukii, while the larvae were used for molecular analysis of the samples. The results revealed the first record of establishment of D. suzukii infesting blackberry in Costa Rica, Central America. These discoveries reveal the spread of the pest in Latin America and the importance of intensifying the surveillance process in other countries in this region.