Our national team of biologists and social scientist has assembled with the goal of developing sustainable strategies to manage spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii), an invasive fly native to eastern Asia that damages soft skinned fruit crops, rendering them unmarketable. This project is supported by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Specialty Crop Research Initiative.
Our project activities are wide ranging, and we will regularly post updates here and on our project Facebook page.
The Issue: In the spotted-wing drosophila’s native range in East Asia, a wide number of natural enemies keep SWD numbers in check. These natural enemies include parasitoid wasps that lay …