whos been-eating-my-strawberries-jul17

Who‘s been eatingMY Strawberries?!

Dr Chris Thomas

Quekett Microscopical Club

www.quekett.org

This is a talk about invaders!

Drosophila suzukiiSpotted Wing Drosophila, SWD

Suzuki

D. suzukii

30% to 80% Soft fruit crop losses

This apparentlyinsignificant, 3 mm long fly is causingdignificant damageto soft fruit and hasrecently entered theUK in 2012

Timeline of Global Domination

Japan 1930

N.America2012

California2008

Spain/Italy2008

Hawaii1980

UK2012

Fruit Fly/Vinegar Fly

UK Drosophila sp. 1 mm

This is thecommonversion of the fruit flywe find in our gardensand homes, buzzingaround fruit

Male SWD

Male SWD‘s are immediately recogniseable under a handlens, having the distinctive single black wing spots

Female SWD

The female lacks the wings spots but …

Female SWD

It sports a large, serrated, egg laying ovipositor

Female SWD Ovipositor

Damage

When you think SWD, think insect with a chainsaw that cuts into ripeningfruit and lays ist eggs inside them – then think – Millions of them!

Commercial Control of SWD

• MONITOR

• IDENTIFY

• CONTROL

– Tidiness

– Insecticide

– Parasitoids

Gardens – Alternative

Reservoirs?

What any Member of theQuekett Microscopical Clubcan do (and schools too!)

Our Skills

• Skilled at capturing small subjects

• Skilled at looking at small subjects

• Skilled at Recording and Sharing information

• Members throughout UK (and world!)

• Have our own publication – The Journal

Step forward please to

• Set a Fruit fly/Vinegar Fly trap thisOctober

• Record your catch

• Send your results to bulletin@quekett.org

• I‘ll collate and write up the results

• You will be credited in the paper.

Population growth

From Report:

Understanding and developing methods for managing spotted wing drosophila (SWD) in the UK: Vital research to maintain the viability of the UK fruit Industry

Michelle Fountain/ Jerry Cross, East MallingResearch, New Road, East Malling, Kent ME19 6BJ

Trapping SWD1. Cider vinegar in plastic bottle

2. Add a drop of Fairy Liquid

3. Pierce bottle with 2-3mm diameter holes

4. Hang in garden for 1 week

5. Pour contents into a white plastictub

6. Observe & record using Low power microscope/magnifiers/camera/smartphone

Typical catch

Result Format

• Send me list with the following:

– Your name and address/postcode

– Date your fly trap harvested

– Total number of insects trapped

– Number of Fruit flies/Vinegar flies

– Number of MALE SWD

– Number of FEMALE SWD

Results

• 32 locations

• 51 sets data

• Included 1 school!

• Between 0 – 100s Fruit flies per record

SWD v

Other Fruit

flies

(%)

A. Average of numbers of fruit flies and SWD harvested in each region.

B. Averages of the percentage of SWD in each harvest.

The diameter of each circle isproportional to average SWD harvest in each region.

Male:Female

SWD (%)

A. The total numbers of males and female SWD harvested in each region.

B. Averages of the percent of males and females for each individual harvest.

The diameter of each circle isproportional to average SWD harvest in each region.

Lessons Learnt

• Great participation (10% QuekettMembers)

• Regional UK Bias to Central & Eastern England

• Reliable records

• Need more data for significant results

Future• Repeat

• Engage The North! (And the world)

• Aim to involve schools

• Open to advice and suggestions

NEW CITIZEN SCIENCE

Following on after the conference, I was inspired to set up a citizen science project on www.iNaturalist.org

‘The Quekett Spotted Wing DrosphilaSurvey Experiment’

You are heartily invited to join in at

https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/quekett-spotted-wing-drosophila-survey-experiment

I look forwardto

Hearing fromYou!

Contact Chris Thomaschris@miltoncontact.com, subject SWD