Threat of drosophila suzukii as an invasive species and the potential of entomovectoring

Abstract

Drosophila suzukii, a fruit fly, also known as spotted wing drosophila, is a highly polyphagous invasive pest endemic to South East Asia, which has recently invaded western countries. Its serrated ovipositor allows this fruit fly to lay eggs on and damage unwounded ripening fruits, thus heavily threatening fruit production. D. suzukii is spreading rapidly and severe economic losses have been reported, making it a pest of great concern. Entomovector technology, which utilizes insects as vectors of biological control agents, for targeted precision biocontrol towards plant pests and diseases, could present an intriguing management option for the control of D. suzukii in an integrated pest management (IPM) system. The success of entomovectoring in the management of D. suzukii will be based on mutual and well suited interactions between the appropriate components of vector, control agent, formulation and dispenser, and needs to be safe for the environment and human health. This chapter highlights the threat of this invasive pest to fruit production. It describes the pest life history and its distribution across Europe. Finally, it presents the hypothetical potential of exploiting entomovectoring in the control of D. suzukii and also discusses the impact which the increased use of chemical pesticides to control D. suzukii has on the development of entomovectoring as a biocontrol method.