The invasive pestiferous vinegar fly, Drosophila suzukii, interacts with a diverse microbial community in raspberry fruit, including yeasts and fruit rot pathogens. Yeast microbes provide a critical source of dietary protein and impact various aspects of fitness and behavior for many Drosophila species. In contrast, relationships between Drosophila and plant-pathogenic fungi have been less intensively studied and are generally considered antagonistic. To better understand D. suzukii’s interactions with yeast and plant pathogenic microbes, we surveyed larval gut microbes using culture-based methods for larvae collected from raspberry fields. We isolated several yeast fungi (primarily Hanseniaspora spp.) as well as Cladosporium, Botrytis, and other non-yeast fungi from larval frass, suggesting that D. suzukii larvae encounter and feed upon these fungi. Subsequent field surveys confirmed that D. suzukii larvae occurred in raspberry fruit affected by Botrytis and Cladosporium fruit rots. Using field-isolated microbes, we conducted laboratory studies to evaluate potential vectoring relationships between D. suzukii and Botrytis or Cladosporium. Both yeast and fruit rot fungi may also impact D. suzukii’s fitness and behavior, with specific effects varying between fungal species. Understanding these insect–fungal interactions may have important implications for pest and pathogen management in primocane raspberries.

Associations between Drosophila suzukii and fungal microbes

256th National Meeting (2018)

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