Invasion of Eastern Deciduous Forests by the Spotted Wing Drosophila: Impacts and Knowledge Gaps

Abstract

ABSTRACTInvasion of forest ecosystems by non‐native invasive insect pests (NNIIPs) can alter native animal and plant communities by disrupting species interactions. However, little is known about how fruit‐targeting NNIIPs may alter forest ecosystems. Recently introduced to the western United States, spotted wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii; SWD) is a parasite of soft‐skinned fruits. The ability of SWD to parasitize still‐ripening fruits of many plant species led to rapid expansion in agricultural systems across North America. Recent surveys have documented widespread SWD parasitism of wild fruits in forests, although impacts of parasitism remain unexplored. We investigated how SWD may produce ecological changes to eastern forests through several mechanisms: 1) disruption of plant–animal seed dispersal interactions; 2) subsequent alterations to plant community composition; and 3) changes in fruit consumption by wildlife. Parasitism of fruits by SWD may reduce attractiveness to potential seed dispersers, reducing overall consumption and shifting future plant communities away from fruit‐producing species. Invasion by SWD may therefore have both short‐term and long‐term consequences for food resources for wildlife and ecosystem function. We highlighted frugivorous birds because of their importance as consumers and dispersers of fruits in eastern North America and their well‐documented rejection of parasitized fruits. We proposed several critical avenues of research and call for a large‐scale collaborative effort to understand the complex relationship SWD may play with plants and wildlife in forest ecosystems. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.