Spotted wing Drosophila
ALERT from Alan Eaton, Extension Specialist, Entomology
Update on Spotted wing Drosophila (SWD): Small Fruit Growers Beware! Sept. 19, 2011
Spotted wing drosophila has been found in (yes, inside the fruit) raspberries and blackberries in New Hampshire. What appears to be SWD is also inside grapes and late blueberries in several New England sites. Probably it occurs now throughout the southern half of NH, and possibly statewide.
Better news: the adult flies seem to be attracted to, and feed on cracked tomatoes, but so far this new species doesn’t seem to be laying eggs in tomatoes. Similarly, I can’t yet find evidence that it is attacking cantaloupe. (Our other species attack the over-ripe ones)
More information can be found below.
Spotted wing Drosophila (SWD), an invasive insect from China & Japan, was confirmed on raspberries in Litchfield, New Hampshire on September 6th. We also have a few in high tunnel tomatoes in Strafford. I have been looking for them with traps in three NH cherry orchards, and 25 blueberry samples from across the state. I haven't significantly sampled raspberries, though. It appears that fruit of raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and cherries are prime targets. Other crops are attacked, such as peaches, plums, grapes, pears and blackberries..... go to full article, click here.
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