First record of the invasive spotted wing Drosophila infesting berry crops in Africa

Abstract

The spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii Matsumura (Diptera: Drosophilidae), is an invasive pest native to Asia that has recently invaded Europe and the Americas. This pest can seriously compromise fruit production in infested crops and has a remarkable ability to invade new areas with a diverse range of environments. We report for the first time D. suzukii infestations in African crops. We sampled 101 fields cultivated with soft-skinned fruits in two regions of northwestern Morocco. Morphological and molecular analyses confirmed the occurrence of D. suzukii in this area. In 2017 and 2018, approximately 15% of the surveyed farms growing small berries were infested by D. suzukii. A total of 61.11% of the surveyed raspberry fields were infested, followed by blueberries (22.22%), strawberries (11.11%) and mulberries (5.56%). Peak infestations were between March and June and in November and December. We carried out preliminary mass trapping in a raspberry tunnel, and of the two traps used, the red-colored trap baited with baker’s yeast and sugar was the most effective. The results are discussed in the light of the invasion potential for the African continent and integrated pest management (IPM) perspectives for soft fruit production in Morocco.