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Tag: Melissa Mayer

Spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii)

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.

McPhail trap

Researchers Use Simulation Model to Optimize Delimitation Trapping Surveys

When an invasive insect appears, responders must quickly set monitoring traps in the area to determine the extent of the pest outbreak. A collaboration between USDA-APHIS and USDA-ARS is working to improve such delimitation trapping survey designs and will publish new guidelines after field experiments are completed later this year.