Flying under the radar: Drosophila suzukii in the national forests of North Carolina has implications for ecology and management

Agricultural pest insects can have a tremendous economic impact for growers. On-farm research on pest biology and behavior can yield key insights for effective management strategies. While substantial research on pest ecology happens in and around the agroecosystem, little data seems to exist where the insect is not considered a pest. Using the fruit pest, Drosophila suzukii as a case study, we explored land areas removed from human development and predicted by distribution models to be less habitable. Instead, we found large populations of D. suzukii that exhibited different host use patterns between wild and cultivated blackberry fruit. This difference was not due to preference but may be indicative of other factors which will be discussed. We will also discuss why more research attention should be paid to areas beyond the limits of the agroecosystem when thinking about the impacts from invasive agricultural insects.