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In late 2011, raspberries in eastern Massachusetts encountered problems with a new pest, the Spotted Wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii. This is an asian fruit fly which first appeared in North America on the west coast in 2008. It appeared
in Florida in spring 2010, North Carolina that summer, and in Virginia that September. Hurricane Irene probably brought the
insect up to New England in 2011, and in late August and early September it started to attack brambles, such as raspberry and
blackberry.
This insect differs from the fruit flies we're used to seeing. We are accustomed to fruit flies that attack
over-ripe or damaged fruit. Drosophila suzukii attacks ripe and under-ripe fruit and uses it as a place to lay eggs. The larvae
hatch quickly and can liquify the fruit in a few days. Since this is a new pest to the east coast, it will take us some time to
learn how to deal with it. New England extension services are trying to come up with options to protect the fruit. Without
action by the grower, the crop is very limited and has only a very short shelf life. It attacks a wide range of soft fruit such as berries, peaches, pears, grapes, currants, and even tomatoes if the skin is broken. However, it appears to have a preference for
brambles.
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