Drosophila suzukii continues to spread in Europe
In their recent paper, Cini et al. (2012) reviewed the invasion of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae – EPPO A2 List) in Europe. They recalled that it was first reported in autumn 2008 in Spain (province of Rasquera). However, they noted that recent examination of captures made in 2008 in Malaise traps placed in Toscana (San Guliano Terme, Pisa) also included D. suzukii, thus suggesting that the pest already occurred in Italy at that time. In 2009, more adults were trapped in other regions of Spain (Bellaterra, near Barcelona), France (Montpellier (Hérault) and other sites in Alpes-Maritimes) and Italy (Trentino). At that time, the first economic damage on cultivated berries was reported from Trentino. In 2010 and 2011, spread continued and the pest was reported from other Italian regions (Piemonte, Val d’Aosta, Lombardia, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Liguria, Marche and Campania). Spread also continued in France, as the pest was found in Corse and as far North as Ile-de-France. In 2011, first reports were made by Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia*, Austria, Germany* and Belgium. Considering the geographical pattern of these first reports, the authors suggested that their history might reflect differences in the sampling efforts and/or problems of awareness rather than the true history of D.;suzukii invasion. They also concluded that the rapid spread of D. suzukii posed a challenge to fruit production in Western Europe, and that research was needed to understand D. suzukii basic biology and develop efficient management strategies.
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* New country records.
Sources
Cini A, Ioriatti C, Anfora G (2012) A review of the invasion of Drosophila suzukii in Europe and a draft research agenda for integrated pest management. Bulletin of Insectology 65(1), 149-160.