Worldwide monitoring programs of the invasive fruit pest Drosophila suzukii Matsumura (Diptera: Drosophilidae), using fermentation baits like apple cider vinegar (ACV), revealed a counterintuitive period of low trap catches during summer, followed by an autumn peak. In this study, we demonstrate that ACV baited traps indeed provide a distorted image of the D. suzukii population dynamics as it is possible to capture higher numbers during this “low capture period” with synthetic lures. It was hypothesised that the preference of D. suzukii populations for fermentation cues like ACV is most pronounced during autumn, winter and spring, while the flies prefer fresh fruit cues during summer and that this seasonal preference is related to the changing physiology of the flies over the season. To test this hypothesis, the preference between fermentation cues (ACV) and host fruits (strawberries) and the effect of physiology (sex, seasonal morphology and feeding, mating and reproductive status) was investigated both in olfactometer laboratory experiments and a year-round field preference experiment. In olfactometer experiments we demonstrated that protein deprived females, virgin females with a full complement of unfertilised eggs and males show a strong preference for fermentation cues while fully fed reproductive summer morph females generally prefer fruit cues. These findings indicate that D. suzukii is attracted to fermentation volatiles in search of (protein-rich) food and to fruit volatiles in search of oviposition substrates. Winter morph and starved females displayed indiscriminating olfactory behaviour. In the field preference experiment, the hypothesised seasonal shift between fermentation and fruit cues was confirmed. This shift appeared to be highly temperature-related and was similarly observed for summer and winter morphs.

Over the past decade, the spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii Matsumara has become one of the most important pests of soft-and stone fruits throughout Europe. Currently, the majority of growers still rely heavily on a limited portfolio of chemical foliar spray insecticides. Alternative strategies such as attract and kill (pull) or behavioral control systems that repel or deter D. suzukii from damaging fruits (push) are less common. We evaluated the potential of hop (Humulus lupulus L.), as a repellent for the Integrated Pest Management of D. suzukii, in controlled greenhouse conditions as well as at commercial field sites. In greenhouse cage tests on fruit or attractant medium, the positive controls thymol and 1-octen-3-ol as well as certain hops significantly reduced larval infestation levels compared to an untreated control, while other hop products showed only numerical reduction in infestation. A controlled field trial on raspberries (Rubus idaeus L.) failed to replicate these results, both for the positive control repellents as for the hop samples. In field experiments in commercial raspberry and blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L.) plantations, no significant reduction in oviposition or differences in population density could be observed for the hop treated plots as compared to the untreated. Through SPME headspace analysis of the hops, a number of compounds were associated with the efficacy observed in the greenhouse, even though different hop varieties were found to have notably different volatile profiles.

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Background Spotted wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), is a pest of stone and small fruits causing considerable economic losses. Current management strategies rely primarily on calendar‐based spraying, owing to the poor relationship between monitoring data and damage levels, and the lack of success of mass‐trapping tools. The aim of this study was to evaluate different trap models for SWD, with an emphasis on their fly‐retention capacity. To this end, we examined and quantified the added value of two fly‐retaining trap features; tunnel entries to impede escape and an insecticide‐coated inner surface as a killing agent. Results An insecticide‐coated inner surface resulted in significantly higher trap retention after 24 h in the laboratory (4.9‐ to 7.4‐fold greater, depending on trap type) compared to a noncoated trap. Trapping efficacy was significantly improved in field trials by such a killing agent in the trap (1.2‐ to 4.5‐fold greater). Tunnel entries significantly improved trap retention in the laboratory and field (by 1.5‐fold). Conclusion The outcomes of this study clearly reveal the substantial impact of the fly‐retention capacity of SWD traps on their overall capture performances. It was demonstrated for the first time that an insecticide‐coated inner surface as a killing agent significantly improves trap efficacy for SWD. This finding can readily be implemented in any trap model to improve monitoring and mass trapping of SWD. Also tunnel entries were shown to have a significant influence on the fly retention and, hence, substantially enhance trapping efficacy.

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