Editorial: Research advances on Drosophila suzukii , volume II

Drosophila suzukii continues to devastate soft skin fruits since its introduction in North America and Europe in 2008 (Walsh et al., 2011; Calabria et al., 2012). It has subsequently spread to other parts of the world including South America (de la Vega et al., 2020) and sub-Saharan Africa (Boughdad et al., 2021; Kwadha et al., 2021). Australia, where D. suzukii has not yet been recorded, provides an example of the potential for further geographical expansion, as coastal regions of eastern Australia have climatic and commercial conditions that could facilitate its establishment and subsequent spread (Maino et al., 2021; Abeijon et al., 2025).

The rapid geographical expansion of D. suzukii and its severe impact on fruit production have prompted extensive research into its behavior (e.g., Abraham et al., 2015; Revadi et al., 2015a; Cloonan et al., 2018; Larson et al., 2021) and motivated the first volume of the Research Topic, “Research Advances on Drosophila suzukii” (Abraham et al., 2022). That volume included studies of feeding behavior (Kraft et al., 2021) and oviposition behavior (Stockton and Loeb, 2022). It also presented a non-destructive, high-throughput DNA metabarcoding method to detect D. suzukii and discriminate it from its closest relatives and other non-target arthropods in large, unsorted trap catches (Piper et al., 2022). Following this, Piñero et al. (2022) demonstrated that diluted Concord grape juice can be as attractive, or in some cases more attractive than commercial attractants meant for monitoring traps. Similarly, it has also been proven that synthetic blends of fruit volatile compounds are attractive to both female and male D. suzukii (Bolton et al., 2022). This finding is in line with our earlier study (Abraham et al., 2015). To improve attract-and-kill strategies for D. suzukii, Babu et al. (2022) identified fenpropathrin, cyantraniliprole, malathion, zeta-cypermethrin, and spinosad as insecticides that could be combined with ACTTRA SWD^® in attract-and-kill formulations for the effective management of this pest.

The present Research Topic builds on these advances through three complementary contributions addressing the genomic basis of adaptation, geographical variation in the microbiome, and behavior-based pest management. In their bid to fully understand the behavior of D. suzukii, Berrutti et al. characterized the distribution and potential impact of transposable elements (TEs) within and near cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP) genes in D. suzukii and compared their distribution with that observed in its non-pest relative, Drosophila melanogaster. They identified ten duplicated CYP genes unique to D. suzukii and found that these duplications were enriched in TE fragments, particularly Helitrons. Their results suggest that increased TE content may have enhanced genomic plasticity, thereby facilitating the species’ invasive success, rapid population growth, and ability to adapt to diverse habitats, including native environments and agricultural fields.

Drosophila suzukii continues to expand its range (de la Vega et al., 2020; Boughdad et al., 2021; Kwadha et al., 2021) and there is the potential for further expansion (Maino et al., 2021; Abeijon et al., 2025). However, the adaption of D. suzukii to new territories is gradually being linked to the microbes associated with their hosts. It is thought that these microbes could play a role in the adaptation of D. suzukii by improving host resilience to environmental stress. To examine whether the colonization of new regions by D. suzukii is associated with changes in its microbiome, Medeiros et al. compared the microbiome profiles of wild-caught D. suzukii from five geographical regions: Asia, continental Europe, the United Kingdom, North America, and Hawai’i. They also compared the microbial communities of D. suzukii found in Hawai’i with those of the non-native Drosophila immigrans, and native Hawaiian drosophilids. Their findings showed that wild-caught D. suzukii from the five regions had distinct microbial compositions indicating that the geographical environment may be a stronger driver of microbiome composition than species identity. The results indicate that D. suzukii may retain a core set of bacterial families while acquiring or enriching locally available microbial taxa after colonizing a new habitat. However, whether these microbiome changes confer adaptive advantages, such as access to new dietary resources, remains to be determined.

Cruz-Esteban reviewed the management of D. suzukii by exploiting its behavior, an approach commonly referred to as ethological control. Several earlier studies have delved into this (e.g., Abraham et al., 2015; Cloonan et al., 2018). However, the current review by Cruz-Esteban synthesizes recent advances involving olfactory attractants, visual stimuli, trap density and spacing for mass trapping, and push–pull systems that incorporate oviposition deterrents.

Together, the contributions to this Research Topic illustrate the value of integrating genomic, microbial, and behavioral perspectives to improve our understanding of the invasion biology of D. suzukii. They also highlight promising directions for developing more effective and environmentally sustainable management strategies for this insect pest in soft skin-fruit production systems.

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Footnotes

Edited and reviewed by: Stefano Colazza, University of Palermo, Italy