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Agriculture

New Research Reveals Combination of Parasitoids and Nematodes Effective in Suppressing Spotted-Wing Drosophila

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has found that combining parasitoids and entomopathogenic nematodes can lead to significant reduction in the emergence of spotted-wing drosophila, a pest of small fruits and cherries. According to the study, the combination of these natural enemies led to a 56% to 83% reduction in Drosophila suzukii emergence relative to the control. However, the exposure of parasitized larvae to nematodes lowered parasitoid emergence by 26% to 68%.

Key Takeaways:

  • The combination of parasitoids and nematodes led to higher pest suppression than either parasitoid or nematode-only treatments.
  • The combination resulted in a 56% to 83% reduction in Drosophila suzukii emergence relative to the control.
  • The exposure of parasitized larvae to nematodes lowered parasitoid emergence by 26% to 68%.
  • Two studies found that the combination had similar effectiveness as the parasitoid-only treatment.
  • The decision to combine these approaches may be based on whether the goal is to maximize biological control or to establish parasitoids.
  • The research was funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), USDA base funds CRIS, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch Project, Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPQ).
  • The study has been peer-reviewed and published in the Journal of Economic Entomology.

Statistics:

  • 56% to 83% reduction in Drosophila suzukii emergence relative to the control
  • 26% to 68% decrease in parasitoid emergence due to exposure of parasitized larvae to nematodes
  • 49% and 71% reduction in adult parasitoid emergence due to exposure of pupae recently parasitized by Pachycrepoideus vindemiae and Trichopria drosophilae to S. carpocapsae, respectively

Sources:

  • NewsRx, "Studies from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Update Current Data on Economic Entomology (Compatibility of Entomopathogenic Nematodes and Parasitoids of Drosophila Suzukii Matsumura)", July 29, 2025; p 3848.
  • Journal of Economic Entomology, "Compatibility of Entomopathogenic Nematodes and Parasitoids of Drosophila Suzukii Matsumura", 2025.
  • Oxford Univ Press Inc, Journals Dept, 2001 Evans Rd, Cary, NC 27513, USA.

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