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Cornell Fruit Resources

Resources for Commercial Growers

Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD)

Genus species: Drosophila suzukii

The spotted wing Drosophila (SWD) is a vinegar or fruit fly of East Asian origin. It made its way into New York by 2011. Today, it has spread throughout most of the continental US. It can directly infest the fruit of many plants, but is most attracted to raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and other late-season, soft-flesh fruits — cultivated and wild.

SWD deserves notice because, unlike her relatives, which lay eggs on over-ripe or rotting fruit, she can lay eggs inside fresh fruit, often before harvest. After only a few days, the fruit skin becomes dimpled or wrinkled, forming craters in the fruit. Without control measures, late season raspberries, blackberries and blueberries can suffer upwards of 80% crop loss.

Cornell University is coordinating SWD monitoring in NY. A map of current findings is found on the Distribution maps page and the SWD blog reports where it is being caught.

Crops of concern and wild hosts

Monitoring

Identification

Management

Distribution maps

Economic and environmental impact

Biology and life cycle


SWD Resources:


 


Spotted Wing Drosophila Blog:


Latest posts:

[RSSjb feed="http://blogs.cornell.edu/swd1/feed" num="7" excerpt="true"]
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