Spotted Wing Drosophila Pest Note

UC Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program has recently published Pests in Gardens and Landscapes: Spotted Wing Drosophila.

The spotted wing drosophila (SWD), Drosopila suzukii was first found in California in 2008. Unlike the common vinegar fly, which it closely resembles, SWD attacks undamaged fruit in commercial fields and home gardens. SWD can have up to 10 generations per year. Because it has such a quick development rate, large populations can develop rapidly and cause severe crop damage.

The new pest note includes the following topics:

• Identification and life cycle
• Damage
• Management

For more information about SWD, including local research on this pest, please see our previous blog posts.

Commercial growers can find SWD resources by crop at the UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines webpage.

The female SWD will penetrate the skin of soft-skinned fruit and lay eggs just under the skin, creating a small puncture on the fruit surface. Photo by Martin Hauser.