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The Spotted Wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) is a small fruit fly native to Southeast Asia, but it has become a significant pest in fruit-growing regions worldwide. Unlike other fruit flies that target overripe or damaged fruit, the SWD can infest healthy, ripening fruits, including strawberries, blueberries, and cherries.
The adult SWD is about 2 to 3 millimeters long, with distinctive red eyes and a yellowish-brown body. The males have a characteristic dark spot on each wing, which gives the species its name. SWD females possess a serrated ovipositor, an adaptation that allows them to cut through the skin of ripening fruit to lay their eggs, making them particularly troublesome for fruit producers.
3. How Salt Water Makes the Larvae Wiggle Out
Soaking strawberries in salt water is a method that exploits the larvae’s sensitivity to changes in their environment. When strawberries are submerged in a salt water solution, typically made with a ratio of about 1 tablespoon of salt per cup of water, the osmotic pressure changes around the larvae.
