Comparative study of Drosophila suzukii females’ behavioral responses to fruit odors of two varieties of Vitis vinifera

Abstract: Spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) is a key pest of soft fruits. It has been reported as a major invasive pest in Europe and the Americas, causing serious yield loss in soft fruits. Laboratory experiments were carried out to evaluate the behavioral responses of D. suzukii females to odors released by fresh and ripe berries of two varieties of table grapes. i. e. Vitis vinifera, var. Victoria and var. Black magic. The response of D. suzukii females to host fruit odors was investigated in two-choice bioassays using Y-tube olfactometer. The berries were tested, separately in an olfactometer, as non-sterilized and sterilized fruits. It was found for the first time that D. suzukii female flies were more attracted to non-sterilized fruits than sterilized fruits. Higher attractiveness of fruits was recorded for var. Victoria. The results are expected to contribute towards the development of a new concept trap baited with the new lure that can contribute in setting up new environment-friendly control methods such as mass-trapping and attract and kill techniques.