Welcome Wasps: Parasitoids Show Promise for Management of Invasive Fruit Fly
In Washington state and British Columbia, Canada, two species of wasps from Asia have been found to be successfully parasitizing the invasive fruit fly spotted-wing drosophila.
How a PCR Test (and Some Mouthwash) Could Nab an Invasive Fruit Fly
Detecting the presence of the invasive spotted-wing drosophila could soon get easier with a new molecular test for analyzing DNA in bulk trapping samples—sensitive enough to sniff out just one target fruit fly in a sample of 2,000. And the best liquid for preserving trapped flies' DNA comes from the dental-care shelf.
It Takes a Village: Our Continued Efforts to Manage Invasive Species in the U.S.
Invasive species are a perpetual threat to U.S. agriculture, natural resources, and public health, and we're seemingly inundated with new ones every time you open the news. Is progress possible, or are we destined to spin on an invasive species hamster wheel?
The State of Integrated Pest Management for Spotted-Wing Drosophila
More than a decade after its arrival in the continental U.S., spotted-wing drosophila has spread to many parts of the country. But a decade of research has built a broad knowledge base for a variety of management strategies. A new review in the Journal of Economic Entomology provides an in-depth analysis of the current state of SWD management and promising future directions.