Abstract
Invasive, polyphagous crop pests subsist on a number of crop and non-crop resources. While knowing the full range of host species is important, a seasonal investigation into the use of non-crop plants adjacent to cropping systems provide key insights into some of the factors determining local population dynamics. This study investigated the infestation of non-crop plants by the invasive Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), a pest of numerous economically important stone and small fruit crops, by sampling fruit-producing non-crop hosts adjacent to commercial plantings weekly from June through November in central New York over a two-year period. We found D. suzukii infestation rates (number of flies emerged/kg fruit) peaked mid-August through early September, with Rubus allegheniensis Porter and Lonicera morrowii Asa Gray showing the highest average infestation in both years. Interannual infestation patterns were similar despite a lower number of adults caught in monitoring traps the second year, suggesting D. suzukii host use may be density independent.
Highlights
Many agricultural pests are highly polyphagous and exploit multiple crop and non-crop host plants throughout their life cycle [1,2,3,4]
Interannual infestation patterns were similar despite a lower number of adults caught in monitoring traps the second year, suggesting D. suzukii host use may be density independent
D. suzukii is an invasive pest of several major stone and other soft-skinned fruit crops worldwide [5,6,7,8]
Summary
Many agricultural pests are highly polyphagous and exploit multiple crop and non-crop host plants throughout their life cycle [1,2,3,4]. Unstable food and reproductive host resources necessitate insect movement within and between crop and non-crop areas [2]. D. suzukii-related damage can have significant economic impacts [8,9,10]. This fly has a well-established host range of non-crop plants [11,12] that can serve as population sources for future infestation events. Diurnal movement between crops and adjacent natural habitats [13,14,15] indicate
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