Establishing Ganaspis brasiliensis as a biological control for managing Drosophila suzukii in organic blueberry systems in Florida

In North Central Florida, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) is a significant threat to blueberry production in the US. Managing this pest in organic farming is particularly challenging due to the lack of effective preventive measures and limited organic insecticides. Florida’s mild climate and abundance of non-crop host fruits provide these pests with additional food and oviposition resources outside of blueberry season. The absence of biological control methods has contributed to the rapid population growth of D. suzukii, resulting in significant losses for organic blueberry growers. Ganaspis brasiliensis, a parasitoid of D. suzukii, was approved for release here in Florida with the goal of establishing a permanent population of this biological control reducing pest pressure for blueberry growers. Here, we detail the rearing, release, and recapture of G. brasiliensis in an organic blueberry system. Successfully establishing this parasitoid will reduce the economic impact of D. suzukii on organic fruit farming and provide pest managers with information about when and how to establish these parasitoids in other crop systems susceptible to this pest.