Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) | OSU Extension Service

Information and resources about monitoring, identification, and management of spotted wing drosophila (SWD), an invasive fruit fly.

Spotted Wing Drosophila

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii, is an insect pest of economically valuable small fruit and tree fruit crops. Known in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest since about 2009, this species now appears to be established in many fruit growing regions around the country. Growers and researchers are working together to implement effective pest control strategies.

Aug 2018 | Online resource

Monitoring Vineyards for Spotted-wing Drosophila

Step-by-step instructions on how to monitor for SWD and interpret results. Presence of the pest is the first step to determining future management needs and strategies.

Patricia A. Skinkis | Jul 2017 | Article Peer reviewed (Gray level)

How to make a trap to catch the Spotted Wing Drosophila Fly

Amy Dreves, an entomologist with the Oregon State University Extension Service, demonstrates how to make traps out of plastic cups to catch the spotted wing drosophila fly. Filmed and edited by Tiffany Woods.

Tiffany Woods, Amy J. Dreves | Mar 2011 | Video

How to place traps to catch the spotted wing drosophila fly

This video demonstrates how to hang traps and place them on the ground to catch the spotted wing drosophila fly.

Tiffany Woods, Amy J. Dreves | Mar 2011 | Video

How to set multiple traps to catch the Spotted Drosophila Fly

Learn how to place a series of closely spaced vinegar traps along the perimeter of your yard early in the season to catch spotted wing drosophila flies.

Tiffany Woods, Amy J. Dreves | Mar 2011 | Video

How to check traps to catch the Spotted Wing Drosophila Fly

See how to check vinegar traps for spotted wing drosophila flies.

Tiffany Woods, Amy J. Dreves | Mar 2011 | Video

How to clean up fallen fruit to prevent the Spotted Wing Drosophila fly

See how to clean up fallen fruit so spotted wing drosophila flies don't have a place to lay eggs and so any possible larvae already in the fruit will die.

Tiffany Woods, Amy J. Dreves | Mar 2011 | Video

How to use netting to keep the Spotted Wing Drosophila Fly off plants

Amy Dreves, an entomologist with the Oregon State University Extension Service, demonstrates how to drape plants with netting to keep out spotted wing drosophila flies. Filmed and edited by Tiffany Woods.

Amy J. Dreves, Tiffany Woods | Mar 2011 | Video

Noncrop Host Plants of Spotted Wing Drosophila in North America

Landscapes surrounding fruit production fields often include hedgerows, adjacent field margins, and woody or riparian areas with ornamentals, unmanaged shrubs, vines, or other plants that also produce fruits. Noncrop ...

Amy J. Dreves, Jana Lee, Linda Brewer, Rufus Isaacs, Greg Loeb, Howard Thistlewood | Dec 2019 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Spotted Wing Drosophila: A Quick, 7-Step Guide to Detecting SWD Larvae in Fruit

This brief guide illustrates how to test fruit for the presence of larvae from the Spotted Wing Drosophila.

Amy J. Dreves, Adam Cave, Jana Lee | Oct 2014 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

A Detailed Guide for Testing Fruit for the Presence of Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) Larvae

This detailed guide illustrates how to test fruit for the presence of the Spotted Wing Drosophila larvae by crushing the fruit, immersing it into a salt or sugar solution, and examining the fruit debris for larvae and pupae.

Amy J. Dreves, Adam Cave, Jana Lee | Oct 2014 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

A New Pest Attacking Healthy Ripening Fruit in Oregon: Spotted Wing Drosophila

Publication provides an overview of spotted wing drosophila identification, biology, damage, monitoring, and control.

Amy J. Dreves, Vaughn Walton, Glenn Fisher | Oct 2009 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Recognize Fruit Damage from Spotted Wing Drosophila

This publication shows damage caused by SWD on blueberries (Duke), raspberries (Malahat), strawberries (Seascape), cherries (Bing, Montmorency, and Rainier), and grapes (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay).

Vaughn Walton, Jana Lee, Denny Bruck, Peter Shearer, Emily Parent, Thomas Whitney, Amy J. Dreves | Dec 2010 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Researchers identify successful biological control for destructive fruit fly

A parasitic wasp has shown tremendous potential attacking and controlling spotted wing drosophila – an invasive, destructive fruit fly that costs Oregon growers close to a billion dollars a year.

Kym Pokorny | Dec 10, 2019 | News story

For more information, please visit OSU's Spotted Wing Drosophila site

Dec 2018

Entomologist

Senior Faculty Research Assistant II, Department of Horticulture

Bernadine Strik

(Retired)

Dr. Patty Skinkis standing in OSU's research vineyard

Patricia A. Skinkis

Viticulture Extension Specialist

Peter Shearer

Research Entomologist

Oregon State University

Jana Lee

Research Entomologist

USDA-ARS-HCRL

Man-Yeon Choi

Research Entomologist

USDA-ARS-HCRL

Want to learn more about this topic? Explore more resources from OSU Extension: Insects

Was this page helpful?

Related Content from OSU Extension

Integrating Integrated Pest Management

Insects, weeds and plant pathogens are problems that confront farmers in trying to grow a successful crop. Insect pests can defoliate crop plants. Weeds can outcompete crops for light, water and nutrients. Pathogens can cause disease epidemics that destroy entire crops.

Silvia I. Rondon, Mary Corp, Stephen M. Van Vleet, Stuart Reitz, Pamela Hutchinson | Jul 2015 | Video

Colorado Potato Beetle in the Columbia Basin

Oregon State University Crop and Soil Science Masters student Pahoua Yang focuses her research project on Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata. Her project is to determine baseline information for several commercial ...

Silvia I. Rondon, Pahoua Yang | Oct 2019 | Video Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Tackling Potato Virus Y

Tackling Potato Virus Y, a Persistent Problem in Potato Production. Oregon State University Masters student Max Combest explains issues related to Potato Virus Y (PVY). He is doing research of PVY in potato production in the ...

Aymeric Goyer, Max Combest | Oct 2019 | Video Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Vineyard IPM - Rick Hilton

Rick Hilton is an entomologist and Extension researcher with the Oregon Wine Research Institute, based at Oregon State University. His work focuses on three treehoppers that could be vectors of red blotch disease, which can devastate a vineyard.

Rick Hilton | Mar 2019 | Video

Awareness is key to avoiding yellowjackets

Yellowjackets are a fact of outdoor life during the summer and fall in Oregon. While they are beneficial to the environment, their painful sting poses a hazard to people. Here's how to avoid them.

Amanda Brenner, Lauren Grand | Aug 2020 | Article

Insect identification

So you have captured a creature in a jar, or your field is full of tiny bugs, now what? Accurate identification of insects is a key first step. Use the resources below to help. If you have a sample and would like to...

Jessica Green | Aug 2021 | Article

Mysterious insects attacking my oak trees?

I live in Beaverton, Oregon. All of the oak leaves seem to be turning brown and falling early this year. The backs of all the leaves falling have little black spots all over them and I see thousands of small bug ...

Alexander Gorman | Oct 2022 | Featured question

An Integrated Pest Management Strategic Plan for Oregon and Washington Cranberries

This publication, produced by growers, commodity group representatives, processors, university specialists, and other technical experts from the cranberry industry in Oregon and Washington, outlines major pests, current ...

Katie Murray, Paul Jepson, Cassie Bouska, Kim Patten | Jul 2018 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Integrated Pest Management for Ants in Schools

Ant species are often beneficial in landscape settings. They aerate the soil, distribute seeds and play an important role in recycling organic matter. But the same ant species obtain pest status when found ...

Tim Stock, Dawn Gouge | Jan 2022 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Northern Giant Hornet: A Potential Threat to Honeybee Colonies in Oregon

The northern giant hornet was detected in British Columbia and Washington in 2019. This publication outlines the identification, life cycle, and predatory habits of the northern giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) for ...

Ellen Topitzhofer, Chris Hedstrom, Priyadarshini Chakrabarti Basu, Andony Melathopoulos, Silvia I. Rondon, Gail Langellotto, Ramesh Sagili | Sep 2022 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Potato Pests and Beneficial Insects

A quick guide to common potato pests and beneficial insects.

Silvia I. Rondon | Apr 2010 | Presentation

How to minimize crop loss in hemp from beet leafhopper and beet curly top virus

How to reduce hemp crop losses to beet curly top virus.

Govinda Shrestha, Cynthia Ocamb | Jul 2023 | Article

Dig into hundreds of publications from OSU Extension online catalog

Have a gardening question? Find an answer in one of OSU Extension's publications.

Kym Pokorny | Nov 22, 2019 | News story

Potential Impacts of Irrigation on Biocontrol of Spotted-Wing Drosophila

A naturally occurring parasitic wasp in Oregon can help control SWD in the state’s blueberry farms.

Cherre Bezerra Da Silva, Brianna F. Price, Daniel Dalton, Dalila Rendon, Kyoo Park, Linda Brewer, Vaughn Walton, Marco Rossi-Stacconi | Dec 2019 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Are my pesticides harmful to pollinators?

About a year ago the cockroaches were out of control in our yard. We resisted, but when we started finding roaches in the kitchen we finally relented, and hired a company to spray the exterior of our home. We know the ...

Andony Melathopoulos | Jun 2023 | Featured question

Biology and Management of Beet Leafhopper and Purple Top in Potatoes in the Pacific Northwest

Leafhoppers damage potatoes by feeding on the plants, or by transmitting viruses and phytoplasmas, which are small bacterial parasites of plant phloem tissue. Phytoplasmas cause purple top disease, which reduces yield ...

Silvia I. Rondon, Tiziana Oppedisano | Apr 2020 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Ask Extension

Have a question? Ask Extension!

Ask Extension is a way for you to get answers from the Oregon State University Extension Service. We have experts in family and health, community development, food and agriculture, coastal issues, forestry, programs for young people, and gardening.

Ask us a question