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Tim Haye / CABI
The invasive cherry vinegar fly is an Asian vinegar fly that attacks raspberries, grapes and plums, also in Switzerland, where it was first detected in 2011 and causes significant damage in agriculture.
A natural antagonist of the pest is the parasitic wasp Ganaspis brasiliensis, which parasitizes the larvae of the cherry vinegar fly in Asia. Researchers at the Center for International Agriculture and Bioscience (Cabi) in Delsberg, led by entomologist Lukas Seehausen, together with French colleagues, used molecular analysis to discover that Ganaspis brasiliensis is not just one species, but two genetically different species.
While one species parasitizes various fruit flies, the other only attacks larvae that feed on mature fruits. “Since only the cherry vinegar fly infects ripe fruits in its area of invasion, the parasitoids of this second group appear to be suitable as biological control agents,” said Lukas Seehausen, according to a message from Cabi.
The ichneumon wasp has been repeatedly proposed as a biological pest control against the cherry vinegar fly. However, uncertainties about its taxonomy and specificity so far have raised doubts about its suitability. The discovery now allows further research to focus on the specific group, Seehausen said.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-76180-5
