Potential of the European earwig (Forficula auricularia) as a biocontrol agent of the soft and stone fruit pest Drosophila suzukii

BACKGROUND The unintentional introduction of Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) from Asia has caused global economic losses in the soft and stone fruit industries. Pesticide use can have unintended negative impacts on natural enemies, disrupting attempts to incorporate integrated pest management programmes. Generalist predators could potentially act as biocontrol agents of D. suzukii. In this context, the predatory capabilities of the European earwig (Forficula auricularia) were investigated. RESULTS In semi‐field conditions, F. auricularia were effective at reducing the reproductive rate of D. suzukii in more densely populated enclosures. In controlled laboratory conditions, significant negative effects of earwigs were observed for both low (three breeding pairs) and high (six breeding pairs) D. suzukii densities. Both semi‐field and laboratory experiments revealed that F. auricularia predation on adult D. suzukii could not account for the subsequent reductions in population density. CONCLUSIONS Reductions in both larval and adult offspring in the presence of earwigs indicate an impact on D. suzukii via predation prior to metamorphosis or disruption of oviposition. Although F. auricularia may predate D. suzukii populations, its capacity to act as a biocontrol agent may be limited. However, results suggest that F. auricularia may be a more effective biocontrol agent earlier in the growing season. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry Drosophila suzukii, an introduced pest of soft and stone fruits, has proven difficult to control. We investigate how the European earwig (Forficula auricularia) could be a successful biocontrol agent. x