Earlier this month the U.S. Department of Agriculture granted approval to a new biological agent to manage the spotted wing drosophila. SWD is a small fruit fly originating in Southeast Asia that has already destroyed hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of crops. It attacks soft bodies fruits such as berries, peaches, grapes, plums, and nectarines. The USDA believes that the parasitoid Ganapsis brasiliensis, a parasitic wasp, with an affinity for fruit flies could curtail the spread of the spotted wing fruit fly and curtail the use of toxic pesticides. The USDA has been studying the wasp for over a decade. This is an important move for biological pest control in the United States and is necessary for future sustainable agriculture.

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Picture Credit Susanne Kuehne 

Posted on 22 June 2022