Native to Southeast Asia, the spotted‐wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) has become a major pest of small fruit crops in the Americas and Europe because females can oviposit in ripening fruit. Currently, D. suzukii management relies heavily on chemical control; thus, more sustainable approaches like attract‐and‐kill need to be evaluated to reduce insecticide use. In previous studies, HOOK SWD, an attract‐and‐kill product that combines attractants, phagostimulants and an insecticide (spinosad), showed promise for D. suzukii control; still, little is known about its performance under field conditions and under varying pest and host‐fruit densities, as well as its residual activity. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of HOOK SWD when applied in commercial blueberry farms, when deployed in semifield cages under different D. suzukii adult and fruit densities and when aged for 30 days in the greenhouse. Results from field experiments showed that HOOK SWD could reduce fruit infestation in blueberry farms; however, its efficacy varied in space and time. Semifield cage studies revealed that relatively high densities of both D. suzukii adults and fruit can reduce the effectiveness of HOOK SWD, which might explain the variation in its efficacy in the field. Ageing HOOK SWD in a greenhouse for at least 30 days yielded no significant decrease in insecticidal activity. Altogether, these studies show that HOOK SWD can potentially suppress D. suzukii populations in the field, but it should be used as part of an integrated pest management program instead of a stand‐alone control tool, especially under high pest and fruit densities.

Strawberry is an important small fruit crop grown throughout the world due to its rich sources of vitamins and abundance of antioxidants. The US is the world’s leading producer of strawberries followed by Mexico. The main strawberry producing states are California followed by Florida, which produce >90% of the strawberries grown in the US. Strawberry production is often threatened by a host of arthropod pests that include insect and mite species. In order for the US to maintain its lead in strawberry production it is vital to develop effective management tools for key insect pests, diseases, and weeds. Some of the major arthropod pests that affect strawberry production include twospotted spider mites, Tetranychus urticae Koch, thrips, Frankliniella and Scirtothrips spp., armyworms, root-boring pests, and many different hemipterans that cause injury to the strawberry leaf and fruit including the tarnished plant bug, Lygus Hesperus, and the seed bug Neopamera bilobata Say. This chapter will summarize some of the key pests that can severely impact strawberry production. We have included some integrated management guidelines to curtail pest’s activities during a production season.

Flower thrips (Frankliniella spp.) are one of the key pests of southern highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L. x V. darrowii Camp), a high-val

Blackberry (Rubus spp.) production in Florida has increased >100% within the past two decades. and several insect pests, including stink bugs (Heteroptera: P

In Florida, southern highbush (SHB) blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L. × Vaccinium darrowi Camp) are grown for a highly profitable early season fre

Organic vegetable production is a rapidly growing industry in the southeastern United States. The yellowmargined leaf beetle, Microtheca ochroloma Stål (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), has recently become an important pest of organic and low-input crucifer vegetable production where growers are not permitted to use synthetic insecticides. Microtheca ochroloma was first reported in the United States in Mobile, AL, in 1947. Currently, it has been reported in nine southeastern states, with the potential for expansion to northern states because of its ability to withstand cold weather. Both adults and larvae feed voraciously on crops in the family Brassicaceae (e.g., arugula, cabbage, collard, mustard, radish, and turnip) and can cause complete crop loss. Despite the growing market demand for organic leafy greens, many organic growers in regions where the pest is predominant have reduced crucifer production owing to the vulnerability of their crops to M. ochroloma and lack of effective, organically compliant management tools against the pest. Here, we discuss the biology, ecology, and management tactics currently available against this invasive pest.