LE3 .A278 2014

2014

Hillier, Kirk

Acadia University

Bachelor of Science

Honours

Biology

Biology

Drosophila suzukii Matsumura (Diptera: Drosophiliidae) is an invasive insect pest, which attacks ripening fruit; females oviposit in fruit before harvest and larval feeding makes fruit non-marketable. The objectives of this study were to: 1) test the sensitivity of D. suzukii to a series of biologically-relevant odorants such as volatiles produced by vulnerable ripening and decaying fruit, or compounds known to affect Drosophila melanogaster behaviour; 2) test odorants for attraction and repulsion of D. suzukii in behavioural and field trapping experiments, and; 3) compare three different trap designs for effectiveness in trapping D. suzukii. Novel attractants and deterrents for D. suzukii will improve early warning monitoring and insecticide -alternative management strategies for D. suzukii respectively. Sensitivity and relative attraction of D. suzukii to selected odorants were tested by electroantennography (EAG), behavioural bioassays, and field trapping trials (an attractant test, a deterrent test and a trap design test). The effectiveness of trap form and appearance in attracting D. suzukii was also evaluated in the trap design test. EAG results revealed males to have a significantly larger mean EAG response than females to several odorants. Flywalk results revealed that male responses to several odorants were significantly more positive than female responses and that 2-phenyl ethanol and benzyl acetate significantly attracted D. suzukii, while cis-3-hexenol significantly deterred D. suzukii, over other compounds. In field trapping studies, cis-3-hexenol caught a significantly higher number of D. suzukii than other deterrents or the control treatment, and the MultiLure® trimedlure traps caught a significantly lower number of D. suzukii than the other trap designs. All three objectives of this study were met, however this study alone, was unable to confirm D. suzukii attractants or deterrents.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:1098