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Prospects for the biological control of Drosophila suzukii

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Abstract

The invasive pest Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) causes serious economic damage in several soft fruit crops. This study aimed (1) to identify naturally occurring parasitoids and predators of this pest in North East Spain and (2) to get preliminary data on their potential as pest biological control agents. Two parasitoid species were found spontaneously parasitizing D. suzukii: Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae (Rondani) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) and Trichopria cf. drosophilae Perkins (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae). Both species were found repeatedly through the survey period and successfully reproduced in the laboratory on D. suzukii pupae. In addition, both species strongly reduced adult emergence of D. suzukii from infested fruits. Regarding predators, Orius laevigatus (Fieber) (Hemiptera: Antochoridae) were able to feed on D. suzukii eggs but not on larvae whereas the soil predator Labidura riparia Pallas (Dermaptera: Labiduridae) consumed D. suzukii larvae and pupae and was effective in reducing pest populations in laboratory tests.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Maria Vilas, Irene Fraile, Lorena Fernández and Víctor Muñoz for their technical assistance. We are grateful to Carla Romeu-Dalmau for earwig identification. We also thank the helpful comments of two anonymous reviewers and the editors for their valuable suggestions that greatly improved the manuscript. The research presented in this paper was funded by Generalitat de Catalunya (DAAM and Project 2012-AGEC00065) and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Project AGL2013-49164-C2-2-R).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IRTA, Ctra. Cabrils Km 2, 08348, Cabrils, Spain

    Rosa Gabarra, Jordi Riudavets, Gustavo A. Rodríguez & Judit Arnó

  2. Departament de Biologia Animal, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda. Diagonal 645, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    Juli Pujade-Villar

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  1. Rosa Gabarra
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  2. Jordi Riudavets
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  3. Gustavo A. Rodríguez
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  4. Juli Pujade-Villar
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  5. Judit Arnó
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Correspondence to Judit Arnó.

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Handling Editor: Dirk Babendreier

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Gabarra, R., Riudavets, J., Rodríguez, G.A. et al. Prospects for the biological control of Drosophila suzukii . BioControl 60, 331–339 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-014-9646-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-014-9646-z

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