ARS | Publication request: Trapping spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura)(Diptera: Drosophilidae) with combinations of vinegar and wine, and acetic acid and ethanol

Submitted to: Journal of Applied Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: May 10, 2011
Publication Date: July 1, 2011
Repository URL: http://handle.nalusda.gov/10113/54426
Citation: Landolt, P.J., Adams, T., Rogg, H. 2011. Trapping spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura)(Diptera: Drosophilidae) with combinations of vinegar and wine, and acetic acid and ethanol. Journal of Applied Entomology. 136(2012):148-154.

Interpretive Summary: Spotted wing drosophila is a newly introduced pest of numerous fruit crops that is spreading rapidly through the western U.S., including areas of extensive commercial fruit production. Trapping with baits is presently relied on as a means of detecting and monitoring the fly, and warning growers of the need to apply insecticides. Researchers at the USDA-ARS laboratory in Wapato, Washington, in collaboration with scientists at the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Salem, Oregon, are developing improved baits and chemical attractants for spotted wing drosophila, for use in detection and management. They demonstrated fly attraction to acetic acid, vinegar, and wine, and discovered a strong synergy of vinegar and wine, and of acetic acid and ethanol, as attractants. They also determined that the mixture of vinegar and wine is much more attractive than the mixture of acetic acid and ethanol, indicating the need to isolate and identify additional attractive odorants from these food materials. This information provides researchers, state entomologists, consultants, and growers with an improved bait to use in the 2011 season, and suggests opportunity for additional improvements in the power of chemical attractants for spotted wing drosophila.

Technical Abstract: Recommendations for monitoring spotted wing drosophila (SWD) Drosophila suzukii, (Matsumura) are to use either vinegar or wine as a bait for traps. Traps baited with vinegar and traps baited with wine, in field tests in northern Oregon, captured large numbers of male and female SWD flies. Numbers of SWD trapped were significantly greater with a mixture of vinegar and wine compared to vinegar alone or wine alone. Attraction of SWD to vinegar and wine may be due in part to respones to scetic acid and ethanol evaported from the two baits respectively. Numbers of SWD captured in traps baited with 2% acetic acid in water were significantly greater than in unbaited traps, indicating a fly response to acetic acid. Very few flies were captured in traps baited with 10% ethanol in water. Traps baited with a combination of acetic acid and ethanol in water captured more SWD flies than traps baited with acetic acid or ethanol solutions alone. These results indicate a synergy of the two materials, and of the two chemicals, as lures for SWD. A comparison of a mixture of acetic acid with ethanol in water versus a mixture of vinegar with wine showed stronger fly attraction to the vinegard/wine mixture, indicating potential attractiveness of vinegar and wine odorants in addition to acetic acid and ethanol.