A new and dangerous pest for the Caucasus – Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931) (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Abstract

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), an agricultural pest originating from Southeast Asia, has been recorded for the first time in the Caucasus and may threaten crops within the region. In 2016, two introduced species, the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug – Halyomorpha halys Stal (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) and the Buxus moth – Cydalima perspectalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), were considered the most dangerous pest species in western Georgia and spreading rapidly east. Because the Spotted Wing Drosophila has only been recently recorded, its damage is not yet known.