Parasitism of Drosophila suzukii in wild host plant species in the Veneto Region, Northeast Italy

Abstract: The spotted-wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) thrives
in a wide variety of non-crop plant species. These wild host plants represent an insecticide-free resource that supports D. suzukii population and, consequentially, its associated parasitoids community. Collection of infested fruits from pokeweed, wild blackberry, and elderberry revealed that the exotic parasitoid species Leptopilina japonica (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) is the main contributor to the parasitism rate of D. suzukii in Northeast Italy. Moreover, positive correlations were detected between parasitism rate, wild host fruit availability and D. suzukii infestation. Implementing conservative biological control strategies is expected to enhance the integrated management of D. suzukii.