Project Description: 

Background

Drosophila suzukii, commonly known as spotted wing drosophila, is a fly pest that attacks soft skinned fruits, causing significant yield and huge economical losses on susceptible fruit crops. This pest is native to Asia, but has invaded Europe and North America during the past few years. As part of a sustainable control program and to help reduce crop damage, biological and integrated pest control programs are being investigated and implemented in the newly invaded areas. There is an urgent need to discover and introduce co-evolved natural enemies from the pest’s native area to the newly invaded ones. Here, classical biological control program (importing new natural enemies from the pests native range) was started in the spring 2013 and involves several national and international institutions. “Hymenoptera” (wasps) parasitoids from South-East Asia are being tested at the UCB quarantine facility in order to determine their potential benefits (exhibit a high degree of host-specificity by attacking the pest and still be safe for local biodiversity) and prepare release permits for the USDA.

Project aim

This project aims at studying the “non-target activity” of the imported Hymenoptera parasitoids (tiny wasps). This will allow us to detect the most selective parasitoid specie(s), predicting their potential impact on field populations of other drosophila fly species. Host-specificity bioassays will be carried out at the UCB insect quarantine facilities. Several species of drosophilids (Diptera) belonging to the fauna native to Southwestern US will be screened for suitability as host for the imported parasitoids.

Keywords

Sustainable agriculture, invasive pest, biological control, biodiversity, spotted wing drosophila

Department: 
ESPM
Undergraduate's Role: 

Maintenance of the insect colonies: the student will learn how to handle and rear Drosophilidae flies and hymenoptera parasitoids using artificial diets under quarantine laboratory conditions. The student will be required to careful maintain the insect colonies and also in maintain all of the tools associated with this activity. Bioassays and data collection: students will assist post-doc personnel in carrying out the aforementioned experiments.      

Undergraduate's Qualifications: 

Applicants must be organized, enthusiastic, and self-motivated; an interest in sustainable control of insect pests and/or insect physiology and ecology is welcome but not expected. The ideal candidate will have taken ESPM 140 and/or ESPM 44. Of course, other candidates will be seriously considered.

Considering that all the experiments have a strict time schedule, students must be willing to work on a consistent schedule and flexible working according to the insect availability. Therefore, and awareness and willingness to complete extra-work during some periods (and less work during others), may be needed.  Certainly, all experiments and colony maintenance require students to be comfortable handling insects.

Location: 
On Campus
Hours: 
9-12 hours
Project URL: 
http://ourenvironment.berkeley.edu/people_profiles/kent-m-daane/