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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #419916
Research Project: Knowledge Based Tools for Exotic and Emerging Diseases of Small Fruit and Nursery Crops

Location: Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit

Title: Global trends in research on biological control agents of Drosophila suzukii: A systematic review

Author
item ABEIJON, LENON - Universidade Federal De Pelotas
item DE OLIVEIRA, JULIA - Universidade Federal De Pelotas
item Lee, Jana
item OVRUSKI, SERGIO - Pilot Plant For Micorbiological Industral Processess And Biotechnology
item GARCIA, FLAVIO - Universidade Federal De Pelotas

Submitted to: Insects
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/28/2025
Publication Date: 1/30/2025
Citation: Abeijon, L.M., De Oliveira, J.B., Lee, J.C., Ovruski, S.M., Garcia, F.R. 2025. Global trends in research on biological control agents of Drosophila suzukii: A systematic review. Insects. 16(2). Article 133. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16020133.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16020133

Interpretive Summary: The spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) is a serious economic pest of small fruits and and numerous biological control agents have been studied to develop sustainable management strategies. In a review of literature published from 2012-2023, parasitoids were the predominant focus in 64% of publications, followed by pathogens and predators. Laboratory studies and field surveys of natural enemies were most often done, and 36% evaluated the efficacy of the natural enemies. This review emphasizes the need to follow-up with field studies confirming efficacy to further develop biological control strategies for growers.

Technical Abstract: Biological control of Drosophila suzukii, spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) has been explored through various biological control agents (BCAs), primarily emphasizing parasitoids, predators, and entomopathogens. We conducted a systematic review using the Web of Science and SCOPUS from 2012 to 2023 to investigate the global research status on biological control agents of SWD. Our goal was to synthesize and categortize the current scientific research production. We sought to answer the following questions: (1) What is the number of publications per BCA group and species?; (2) What are the main BCAs?; (3) What methodologies are most used in research development (laboratory, field, greenhouse, or combined trials?; (4) What types of works are most common within the research scope, surveys or conservation, classical, or augmentative biological control trials?; (5) What is the effectiveness, efficiency, and control of BCAs?; and (6) In which countries are the researches conducted? Our review found 583 records, of which 184 were suitable for data extraction. The most studied group of BCAs are parasitoids comprising 64% of publications, with Trichopria drosophilae and Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae being the most commonly studied as of 2023, with studies increasing on Ganaspis kimorum and Leptopilina japonica. Entomopathogens and predators represent 26% and 7% of publications, respectively. Studies conducted under controlled conditions predominate among the methodological approaches. Surveys, identification, and characterization of the pest's natural enemies are among the main scopes of published works, followed by studies employing/ conservation biological control, which show the highest control effectiveness.