Attract And Trap Combination Aimed At Controlling Drosophila

Invasive insect species have been making headlines the past couple years, and the spotted wing drosophila, which targets cherries and small fruit, is near the top of the “most wanted” list.

Drosophila suzukii prefers to attack fruit before it ripens, unlike Drosophila melanogaster that lays eggs in overripe or damaged fruit. Therefore, economic damage can be much bigger because the fly even destroys the fruit when harvested and ready for shipment.

Spotted wing drosophila adults are light yellow or brown flies with red eyes. They look like regular vinegar flies, but male flies have a single black spot on the end of each wing. Females have no spots, but have a distinctive saw-like egg laying device (ovipositor) which enables them to cut into thin-skinned fruit and deposit eggs inside.

Because of the number of generations produced by the spotted wing drosophila, growers need to be mindful of resistance. One solution that can be incorporated into an IPM program is Biobest’s Droso-Trap and Dros’Attract. Biobest has conducted trials to develop this type of reliable and selective method of trapping Drosophila suzukii. Droso-Trap has been specifically selected for efficient attraction of drosophila. The main attractant of this trap is Dros’Attract, a specially selected and tested mixture that has proven to be very efficient in combination with the trap.

For more information, go to www.biobest.be.