Spotted Wing Drosophila Found in Willamette Valley | by Tigah in L.A. on Oct 23, 2009 at 10:33 pm |  | |
The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) has confirmed that Drosophila suzukii (also called spotted wing Drosophila), a pest which attacks fruit, including wine grapes, has been found in the samples collected from various locations around the Willamette Valley. ODA scientists hatched out the new pest in their laboratory from grapes and from other fruits in the Valley.
As of today, The ODA has confirmed the presence of Drosophila suzukii in the following 13 counties of Oregon: Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, Marion, Polk, Benton, Linn, Lane, Douglas, Hood River, Wasco and Umatilla.
Besides wine grapes, the following Willamette Valley hosts have been confirmed: cherries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, plums, peaches, table grapes, and hardy kiwis.
Dan Hilburn of ODA stated, “True, we have recently reared Spotted Wing Drosophila out of wine grapes. Still no reports of damage or yield loses though, with harvest nearly finished. Next year the smart growers will be informed and vigilant.”
Helmuth Rogg from ODA offered, “We do not know yet how to manage this new invasive pest. We started a multi-state collaborative project to address these questions. OSU is spearheading the efforts for Oregon. Hopefully later this year and early next year we will find out more. We do not know what will happen next year. We do not want to alarm anybody but want to be prepared for the worst case scenario.
This fly is a serious threat to the vineyards in the Willamette Valley. Infestation is initially manifested by scars on the fruit surface left by “stinging” females. They lay their eggs inside the fruit. As egg hatch time is very short (about 1 day), larvae soon begin feeding inside the fruit. Within as little as 2 days, the fruit begins to collapse around the feeding site. Thereafter, mold and infestation by secondary pests may contribute to further damage.
For more information, visit the website created by OSU for updates on Drosophila suzukii:
LINK
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