Joanne Whalen, Extension IPM Specialist; jwhalen@udel.edu
We finished our 2011 SWD monitoring activities in late September in a commercial vineyard and we did not detect any SWD adults in our traps. However, traps that were set out near the Milford area from September through December did collect flies which were verified by a USDA identifier in January 2012 as SWD. During the 2011 season, this pest made its way to Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, so it was only a matter of time before their presence was confirmed in Delaware. As you start the season you will need to consider this pest when making management plans.
These flies can infest and cause a great deal of damage to ripening fruit, as opposed to the overripe and fallen fruit that are infested by most other Drosophila species. Females damage fruit by slicing through the skin with their knife-like ovipositor, and inserting eggs that develop into small white larvae. These cuts can also be a pathway for fungal pathogens, leading to greater reductions in fruit quality. Therefore, monitoring for SWD is important to avoid economic loss. This insect is a pest of most berry crops, cherries, grapes and other tree fruits, with a preference for softer-fleshed fruit. In areas where it has been detected, it is has become an important pest of cherries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, peaches, and plums.
For more information on monitoring, identification and control of this insect pest, please check the following links:
http://www.ncipmc.org/alerts/drosophila.cfm
http://swd.hort.oregonstate.edu/