Host location and dispersal ability of the cosmopolitan parasitoid Trichopria drosophilae released to control the invasive spotted wing Drosophila

Publication date: Available online 2 December 2017 Source:Biological Control Author(s): Marco Valerio Rossi Stacconi, Nasim Amiresmaeili, Antonio Biondi, Cristiano Carli, Stefano Caruso, Maria Luisa Dindo, Santolo Francati, Angela Gottardello, Alberto Grassi, Daniela Lupi, Elisa Marchetti, Fabio Mazzetto, Nicola Mori, Tommaso Pantezzi, Luciana Tavella, Giovanna Tropea Garzia, Lorenzo Tonina, Giacomo Vaccari, Gianfranco Anfora, Claudio Ioriatti Biological control remains unutilized as yet in the framework of Drosophila suzukii Matsumura management. Although several parasitoid species attack the pest under laboratory conditions, information is lacking on their host-finding and dispersal capabilities in natural environments. We tested the effect of repeated parasitoid releases on D. suzukii populations in infested orchards. The pupal parasitoid Trichopria drosophilae (Perkins) was released on different crops at eight sites. Parasitism was monitored using traps placed at various distances from the parasitoid release point (RP). A second experiment was carried out under semi-field conditions to evaluate augmentation of the parasitoid. In both experiments, D. suzukii infestation was evaluated through fruit samplings, both from the plant, and from the ground. In the open field trials, T. drosophilae attacked D. suzukii in traps up to 40 m away from the RP, and pest emergence was significantly reduced within a radius of 10 m at seven out of eight sites. In t...
Source: Biological Control - Category: Biology Source Type: research