🦠 Spotted-wing drosophila
A small fly that lays its eggs in ripe berries.
The spotted-wing drosophila, or Suzuki fruit fly, is a small fly that is a pest of grapes and other berries. It comes from Asia and reached Europe and America in the 2000s.
The main difference from ordinary fruit flies is its sharp egg-laying organ. The female lays eggs not in overripe and rotten berries but in ripe, intact ones. The larvae feed on the flesh, and the berry softens and spoils. Fungi and bacteria enter through the damaged skin.
Sour rot is linked to this. It is carried by flies, and it makes berries smell of vinegar. Such grapes spoil wine. So the drosophila is counted among the pests of grapes.
Against it growers use baited traps, checks of ripe bunches and, where possible, nets. They try to harvest on time. Chemical treatments are used carefully, especially in organic viticulture.
How it connects to Wine
🦠 Spotted-wing drosophila → kind of → 🦠 Grapevine pests → kind of → 🌿 Viticulture → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Previous step
- 🦠 Sour rot
- Part of
- 🦠 Grapevine pests
Frequently asked questions
What is the spotted-wing drosophila?
It is a fly from Asia that lays eggs in ripe berries and damages the grape crop.
How is it different from an ordinary fruit fly?
An ordinary fly chooses overripe berries, while this one attacks ripe, intact ones.
How is it controlled?
With traps, nets, timely harvest and, in conventional viticulture, insecticides.
Similar
🦠 Grape berry moth (Eupoecilia) · 🦠 Grape mite · 🦠 Leafhopper · 🦠 European grapevine moth · 🦠 Phylloxera
Sources
- Wikipedia (en): Drosophila suzukii
- Wikipedia (de): Kirschessigfliege
- Wikipedia (fr): Drosophila suzukii
- Wikipedia (uk): Drosophila suzukii
- Wikidata Q1336450