Methyl N,N‐dimethylanthranilate and ethyl propionate: repellents effective against spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii

Abstract

AbstractBACKGROUNDSpotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), is an economically important pest of soft and stone fruit crops. The aim of this study was to identify repellents, formulated in dispensers, which could protect crops from D. suzukii. Fourteen potential repellents were screened against summer‐ and winter‐morph D. suzukii through electroantennography and behavioural bioassays. Repellents effective in the laboratory were tested in polytunnels to determine their efficacy in reducing catches in fruit‐baited traps. Further trials of three potential repellents were conducted to determine the distances over which repellent dispensers could reduce D. suzukii emergence in a strawberry crop.RESULTSAll 14 chemicals screened were detected by the antennae of both D. suzukii morphs. Hexyl acetate and geosmin both elicited a significantly greater corrected EAG response in summer morphs than winter morphs. Summer‐morph D. suzukii were repelled by butyl acetate, ethyl propionate, methyl N,N‐dimethyl anthranilate, geosmin, methyl salicylate, DEET and benzaldehyde at one or more doses test in laboratory bioassays. Winter morphs were repelled by ethyl propionate, methyl anthranilate, methyl N,N‐dimethyl anthranilate, DEET, benzaldehyde and butyl anthranilate at one or more of the doses tested in the laboratory. Ethyl propionate, methyl N,N‐dimethylanthranilate and benzaldehyde repelled both morphs from fruit‐baited traps in polytunnel trapping trials. Ethyl propionate and methyl N,N‐dimethylanthranilate reduced emergence of D. suzukii in a strawberry crop over 3–5 m.CONCLUSIONSEthyl propionate and methyl N,N‐dimethylanthranilate may protect strawberry crops against D. suzukii. Future work should test these repellents in combination with attractants in a ‘push‐pull’ strategy. © 2024 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.