Journal of Pest Science (2018) 91, 789-798

Anna Garriga, Ana Morton and Fernando Garcia-del-Pino (2018)
Is Drosophila suzukii as susceptible to entomopathogenic nematodes as Drosophila melanogaster?
Journal of Pest Science 91 (2), 789-798
Abstract: Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is the major invasive pest of small, soft-skinned and stone fruits, with a wide range of hosts. This study aims to test the susceptibility of this insect to entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) and their efficacy on infested fruits from first instar larvae to adult emergence. Drosophila suzukii and D. melanogaster (Meigen) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) were susceptible to Steinernema carpocapsae (Weiser) (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae), S. feltiae (Filipjev) (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae), Steinernema sp. (glaseri group) (Filipjev) (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Poinar) (Rhabditida: Heterorhabditidae) on two substrates (filter paper and agar). The greater efficacy against D. suzukii was achieved by S. feltiae and S. carpocapsae (94 and 84%, respectively) with equal efficacy than that obtained using D. melanogaster as host (93.37 and 92.88%, respectively). The EPNs infected and could reproduce inside D. suzukii larvae. In contrast, pupae of both species were not infected by them. Nematodes proved to be able to reduce adult emergence of D. suzukii (up to 35% by S. feltiae) on strawberry fruit under laboratory conditions. These results show that D. suzukii is as susceptible as D. melanogaster to EPNs, confirming the potential of these nematodes as biological control agents against this important pest.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
(original language: English)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Ana Morton

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Drosophila suzukii		Denmark
Steinernema carpocapsae/Xenorhabdus nematophila (entomopathogen)	Drosophila suzukii
Steinernema feltiae/Xenorhabdus bovienii (entomopathogen)	Drosophila suzukii
Heterorhabditis bacteriophora/Photorhabdus (entomopathogen)	Drosophila suzukii