Drosophila suzukii

Spotted Wing Drosophila

Invasive pests do not only cause damage to the environment, but also cause an economic loss. Spotted wing drosophila have caused a dramatic impact on the small fruit production because of the increased management costs, direct fruit damage, and the potential for contamination of fruit with secondary pests and diseases. Currently, there is a zero-tolerance policy for SWD in fresh market fruit sold in the United States. A single infested blueberry can cause a whole shipment of fruit to be rejected. Spotted wing drosophila continue to threaten the viability of berry production, mostly impacting caneberries, blueberries, strawberries, and cherries. In 2012, the total crop value of blueberries, caneberries, and strawberries in the United States was totaled to be $566 million. The estimated crop loss value in 2012 from SWD was $207 million. Cultivated blueberries specifically experienced an estimated 30% loss. Florida has a cultivated blueberry crop value of $78 million and experienced $7.8 million to $11.7 million in crop loss.

Current Researchers