Plasticity in oviposition and foraging behavior in the invasive pest Drosophila suzukii across natural and agricultural landscapes.

ABSTRACT: The effects and extent of the impacts of agricultural insect pests in and around cropping systems is a rich field of study. However, little research exists on the presence and consequence of pest insects in undisturbed landscapes distant from crop hosts. Research in such areas may yield novel or key insights on pest behavior or ecology that is not evident from agroecosystem-based studies. Using the invasive fruit pest Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) as a case study, we investigated the presence and resource use patterns of this agricultural pest in wild blackberries growing within the southern Appalachian Mountain range of North Carolina over 2 years. We found D. suzukii throughout the sampled range with higher levels of infestation (D. suzukii eggs/g fruit) in all ripe

SUBMITTER: Elsensohn JE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9817201 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature