The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)
has confirmed a new fruit pest, the spotted wing drosophila (SWD), in
Minnesota. SWD is an invasive pest of Asian origin that was first detected in
the continental United States in California in 2008 and has since spread to
several western and eastern states.
The first two detections of this pest in
Minnesota were made by members of the public who reported the flies to the
Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA). First, a homeowner from Hennepin
County contacted MDA about flies found in a trap placed near a raspberry patch.
Days later, MDA was contacted about an abundance of maggots in wild raspberries
picked in Ramsey County. MDA followed up on both reports to confirm the
identity of this new pest.
“It is impressive that people noticed such a
small pest, realized it could be a new invader, and knew to contact us
regarding the finds,” MDA entomologist Bob Koch said. “It goes to show how much
people care about protecting our resources.”
SWD looks similar to small fruit flies found
on overripe bananas. However, unlike these other flies, which typically feed on
overripe or deteriorating fruits, SWD feeds on healthy, intact, ripening
fruits. In particular, SWD will feed on thin-skinned, soft fruits such as
raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, plums and
cherries. Sometimes the symptoms won’t show until after the fruits are
harvested and sometimes not until the fruits are in possession of the
consumers. In addition to the damage caused directly by the larvae, the feeding
makes the fruits susceptible to infestation by other insects and rot fungi and
bacteria. The larvae will then leave the fruits to pupate and later emerge as
adults.
The SWD is a small fly, only 2-3 mm long,
with yellowish brown coloration and prominent red eyes. Male SWD have dark
spots on the wing tips. SWD larvae are white with a cylindrical body that
tapers on both ends.
The adult flies are difficult to distinguish
from other small flies; however, if you find an abundance of small, white
maggots in what were apparently healthy fruits at the time of harvest, contact
the Minnesota Department of Agriculture at 1-888-545-6684 (voicemail) or
Arrest.the.Pest@state.mn.us.
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