EU: Invasion of Asian fruit fly
"Out of the 3,000 known species of Drosophilae, commonly named the vinegar fly, only two are potentially dangerous to fruit crops. One of them is Drosophila suzukii," Gemma Calabria, researcher at the Department of Genetics of the University of Barcelona, said.
Calabria said the first fly was discovered in Spain in 2008, but has now spread over 800 miles each year since - usually in affected fruit that has been transported by humans.
It has been discovered in several locations in France and Italy since 2009.
It northern movement - in both Europe and the US, where it has caused a lot of damage to crops - strongly suggests that it does not require a dry Mediterranean climate.
"If if it spreads to more humid regions, it could cause a major agricultural epidemic," the Spanish researchers say.
Source: www.upi.com
