Reducing Drosophila suzukii emergence through inter-species competition.

Drosophila suzukii has dispersed widely from its native Asian range since 2008. Its arrival in the UK is resulting in economic losses in soft- and stone-fruit crops caused by larvae feeding on the flesh of ripening fruit. Although a large amount of research has been directed at controlling this pest, it is presently unknown how this invasive species interacts with native Drosophila species. In the work reported here, D. suzukii or Drosophila melanogaster adults were introduced to substrates pre-inoculated with the eggs of the same or the other species in a laboratory choice assay. Drosophila melanogaster adult emergence was not affected by pre-inoculation with D. suzukii. The rate of emergence of D. suzukii was significantly lower from medium pre-inoculated by D. melanogaster than from blank medium. In a subsequent experiment, significantly more D. suzukii eggs were laid in blank medium than in D. melanogaster pre-inoculated medium. The presence of D. melanogaster in a substrate significantly reduced D. suzukii emergence and egg laying. This study raises research questions about how this reduction mechanism is driven and how it could be exploited as part of future integrated pest management practices. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Shaw B ，Brain P ，Wijnen H ，Fountain MT ... -  《-》

Factors influencing oviposition behaviour of the invasive pest, Drosophila suzukii, derived from interactions with other Drosophila species: potential applications for control.

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) or spotted wing Drosophila is a worldwide invasive pest of soft- and stone-fruit production. Female D. suzukii lay their eggs in ripening fruit and the hatched larvae damage fruit from the inside, rendering it unmarketable and causing significant economic loss. Current methods to reduce D. suzukii population in the field primarily rely on chemical insecticides which are not a sustainable long-term solution and increase the risk of resistance developing. Several studies demonstrate that when D. suzukii encounter or coexist with other Drosophila on a food source, this is usually a disadvantage to D. suzukii, leading to reduced oviposition and increased larval mortality. These effects have potential to be exploited from a pest management perspective. In this review we summarise recent research articles focusing on the interspecific interactions between D. suzukii and other Drosophila species aimed at understanding how this drives D. suzukii behaviour. Potential semiochemical and microbiome impacts are postulated as determinants of D. suzukii behaviour. Development of control practices focusing on reducing D. suzukii populations and deterring them from laying eggs by utilising factors that drive their behaviour are discussed. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Tungadi TD ，Powell G ，Shaw B ，Fountain MT ... -  《-》

Evolutionary shifts in taste coding in the fruit pest Drosophila suzukii.

Although most Drosophila species lay eggs in overripe fruit, the agricultural pest Drosophila suzukii lays eggs in ripe fruit. We found that changes in bitter taste perception have accompanied this adaptation. We show that bitter-sensing mutants of Drosophila melanogaster undergo a shift in egg laying preference toward ripe fruit. D. suzukii has lost 20% of the bitter-sensing sensilla from the labellum, the major taste organ of the head. Physiological responses to various bitter compounds are lost. Responses to strawberry purées are lost from two classes of taste sensilla. Egg laying is not deterred by bitter compounds that deter other species. Profiling of labellar transcriptomes reveals reduced expression of several bitter Gr genes (gustatory receptors). These findings support a model in which bitter compounds in early ripening stages deter egg laying in most Drosophila species, but a loss of bitter response contributes to the adaptation of D. suzukii to ripe fruit.

Dweck HK ，Talross GJ ，Wang W ，Carlson JR ... -  《eLife》

Evolution of Multiple Sensory Systems Drives Novel Egg-Laying Behavior in the Fruit Pest Drosophila suzukii.

The rise of a pest species represents a unique opportunity to address how species evolve new behaviors and adapt to novel ecological niches [1]. We address this question by studying the egg-laying behavior of Drosophila suzukii, an invasive agricultural pest species that has spread from Southeast Asia to Europe and North America in the last decade [2]. While most closely related Drosophila species lay their eggs on decaying plant substrates, D. suzukii oviposits on ripening fruit, thereby causing substantial economic losses to the fruit industry [3-8]. D. suzukii has evolved an enlarged, serrated ovipositor that presumably plays a key role by enabling females to pierce the skin of ripe fruit [9]. Here, we explore how D. suzukii selects oviposition sites, and how this behavior differs from that of closely related species. We have combined behavioral experiments in multiple species with neurogenetics and mutant analysis in D. suzukii to show that this species has evolved a specific preference for oviposition on ripe fruit. Our results also establish that changes in mechanosensation, olfaction, and presumably gustation have contributed to this ecological shift. Our observations support a model in which the emergence of D. suzukii as an agricultural pest is the consequence of the progressive modification of several sensory systems, which collectively underlie a radical change in oviposition behavior.

Karageorgi M ，Bräcker LB ，Lebreton S ，Minervino C ，Cavey M ，Siju KP ，Grunwald Kadow IC ，Gompel N ，Prud'homme B ... -  《-》

Live Drosophila melanogaster Larvae Deter Oviposition by Drosophila suzukii.

Tungadi TD ，Shaw B ，Powell G ，Hall DR ，Bray DP ，Harte SJ ，Farman DI ，Wijnen H ，Fountain MT ... -  《Insects》