D3007: Current efforts of spotted-wing biocontrol in Georgia

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera Drosophilidae) commonly known as Spotted-wing Drosophila (SWD) is an invasive insect pest threatening many small fruit industries in the Americas and Europe for more than a decade. While many control approaches are being utilized in the invaded regions to manage this pest, biological control using parasitoids is one of the promising strategies for the sustainable management of SWD. We conducted two seasons-long field surveys for native parasitoids of SWD around major blueberry-producing locations in Georgia where more than 300 Drosophila-related parasitoids were collected. Among them, Leptopilina boulardi (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) and Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) were the most abundant species in the collection. Based on the survey findings, Georgia was identified as a suitable region for the introduction and establishment of exotic parasitoids. Consequently, the exotic parasitoid Ganaspis brasiliensis Ihering (Hymenoptera: Figitidae), which co-evolved in the original habitat of SWD, has been released, and these efforts are expected to contribute to the sustainable management of invasive pests like SWD in the long run.