FIRST REPORT OF THE INVASIVE PEST DROSOPHILA SUZUKII(MATSUMURA, 1931)(DIPTERA DROSOPHILIDAE)ON OLEA EUROPAEAL. IN ITALY

Abstract

The fruit crop pest Drosophila suzukii(Matsumura, 1931)(Diptera: Drosophilidae) is a highly polypha-gous invasive pestlisted in the EPPO A2 list. This specieshas been reported as host of a variety of cultivatedplantsandwild fruits.Herein,we report the record of someD.suzukiiviable specimensthatwere found in olives directly collected from the tree branches in four differentsites of Latium and Umbria (Italy). Adults emerging from these pupae were collected and morphological and molecular analysiswere carried out to confirm the speciesidentity. Olive tissues alterations wereobserved in associationwiththe presence of the species.The analysis of the available literature showed us that this is the first record of D. suzukiias a phytophagous species on the olive tree in Italy and probably worldwide