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Abstract
The Spotted-Wing Drosophila (SWD) (Drosophila suzukii Matsumura) is an invasive pest of soft fruits that poses significant economic threat to the small fruit growers in Europe and the Americas. This research evaluates the potential of native and introduced parasitoids in utilizing them as biocontrol agents in the SWD infested areas. As a part of the biocontrol program in Georgia, field surveys were conducted in 2021 and 2022 at major blueberry-producing locations in southeast Georgia, USA. A total of 371 native parasitoids from the families Figitidae, Pteromalidae, and Diapriidae, were collected. Among them Leptopilina boulardi (Figitidae) and Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae (Pteromalidae) were the most common species. In the laboratory eveluation of their efficiency, although the P. vindemmiae is known to parasitize SWD effectively, L. boulardi showed a low parasitism rate and failed to emerge from parasitized hosts. Six conventional and three organic insecticides were evaluated in a laboratory experiments to assess their sub-lethal effect on the Ganaspis brasiliensis (Figitidae) and P. vindemmiae. Among the insecticides used, Entrust (Spinosad) wasthe most toxic to the parasitoids reducing their parasitism and progenies. Aditionally five commercial and three wild fruits were used to study the preference of parasitsim of G. brasiliensis in these fruits. The parasitoids preferred commercial fruits, particularly blackberry and raspberry, over wild fruits. They also preferred fruits infested by SWD to intact fruits. When the parasitism efficiency of the parasitoids were evaluated at different densities of hosts available to them, G. brasiliensis parasitized fewer hosts per capita than P. vindemmiae. Both parasitoids exhibited a decline in parasitism rates as the densityof the parasitoid were increased. The finding of this research suggest that as the native parasitoids are inadequate in managing the SWD populations, the use of classically relaesed parasitoids is suggested. For this strategic optimizattion of the both the native and classically released parasitoids are necessary to adjust them in different ecological scenarios in the SWD biocontrol programs.