Publications by authors named "Vincent Van Kerckvoorde"
The invasion of (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) worldwide has disrupted existing or developing integrated pest management (IPM) programs in soft-skinned fruits. Currently, with a reliance on only broad-spectrum insecticides, there is a critical call for alternative control measures. Behavioural control is one of the pillars of IPM, and, in the present study, it is investigated whether mass trapping could be viable for management.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe spotted wing drosophila, , is an invasive pest species from Southeast Asia that was recently introduced in Europe and North America. As this fruit fly lays its eggs in ripening soft-skinned fruit, it causes great damage to a variety of crops, including cherries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, plums and strawberries. Consequently, there is a great demand for an effective and species-specific lure, which requires the development of successful attractants.
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- Spotted wing drosophila (SWD)
- is a significant pest affecting small and stone fruits, leading to economic losses, and current management methods largely depend on scheduled spraying due to insufficient monitoring tools.
- A study tested various trap models
- for SWD, focusing on features that enhance fly retention, such as insecticide-coated surfaces and tunnel entries, which were found to significantly increase trap effectiveness both in lab and field settings.
- Results indicate
- that insecticide-coated traps can improve retention by up to 7.4 times, and tunnel entries also contribute to better capture rates, highlighting the potential for these modifications to enhance SWD management strategies.
The marking of can be an important instrument for studying the ecology and behaviour of this economically important fruit pest, aiding the development of new Integrated Pest Management (IPM) tools or strategies. There is, however, a need for a cost-effective methodology that provides an easily detectable and stable mark. Whereas fluorescent pigment powders are often used in entomological research, the pigments (series, dyes), application techniques, or doses need to be evaluated for each studied species in terms of their efficacy and possible adverse effects on the performance of the insect.
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- * Researchers hypothesize that Matsumura prefers fermentation cues like apple cider vinegar in autumn, winter, and spring, while opting for fresh fruit cues in summer due to changes in their physiology throughout the year.
- * Experiments showed that factors such as nutritional status and reproductive state greatly influence the preference for either fermentation or fruit cues, confirming a seasonal preference shift that depends on temperature and the flies' physical condition.