Welcome to the Spotted-Wing Drosophila Research and Extension Resource Center for the Northeastern United States

The spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii, emerged in 2008 as a severe insect pest of small fruits in North America. These flies are native to parts of Southeast Asia and infest several crops, including blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, cherry, and strawberry. Unlike other non-SWD Drosophila flies that lay eggs primarily on decaying and rotten fruit, SWD attack only blushing and ripening fruit leaving fresh, intact fruit susceptible to SWD infestation. Presently the only viable tool to control SWD populations is frequent applications of chemical insecticides, although scientists and growers continue to seek alternatives such as biological control. These insecticides are not effective against the developing larvae as they are protected inside the fruit. Growers cannot time insecticide sprays with adult movement because the commercially available traps rely on non-specific volatile blends that attract large numbers of non-target insects.
Map of the Northeast with spotted-wing drosophila illustration
 
Developed and managed by the Northeastern Integrated Pest Management Center and the Department of Entomology at Rutgers University. This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2014-70006-22484. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Photograph Credits: “Jackpot of Raspberries” by Beatrice Murch (CC BY-SA 2.0), “Spotted Wing Drosophila” by Martin Cooper (CC BY 2.0).