Population behavior and daily activity of Drosophila suzukii in strawberry crop

Abstract

The deeper understandings of insect and crop ecology increase the efficiency of management techniques in agroecosystems. The study aimed to define the location of Drosophila suzukii inside strawberry greenhouses and to establish the preferential daily period of pest activity. The study was conducted in the cities of Caxias do Sul, Feliz and Vacaria, RS, Brazil. The preferred location was obtained by the computation of adults collected in traps positioned above and below the support stands of the plants, while the daily period analyzed by photographic images. D. suzukii occurs, preferably, below the stands, especially females. The highest activity occurs during the morning, between 7:00 and 9:00 hours. During the afternoon, between 3:00 and 6:00 hours, another period of action is verified, but lower than in the morning. Management strategies should take into account such information to increase the efficiency of control in strawberry greenhouses.