Non-target effects of attract and kill strategies targeting Drosophila suzukii on its parasitoid Leptopilina japonica

Drosophila suzukii is a contemporary global pest of soft and stone fruits worldwide. Control of this pest can involve attract and kill strategies that mix attractants and phagostimulants with toxicants to bring in and kill the target. Biocontrol agents are another tool used to control D. suzukii populations, with Leptopilina japonica being a modern example of a high potential parasitoid seeing use throughout the United States and Canada. This study examines whether attract and kill strategies targeting D. suzukii may also be impacting populations of L. japonica, to elucidate whether these strategies are synergistic or antagonistic. In this case a commercial insect bait, Combi-protec, was compared against an organic low-cost alternative under laboratory conditions to contrast efficacy and attractiveness in the presence of both D. suzukii and L. japonica. In the same vein, a commercial insecticide was compared with an organic alternative to get a granular view of how these systems differentially interact with both pests and parasitoids to influence their mortality in a controlled environment.