Spotted-Winged Drosophila

Spotted-Winged Drosophila

Drosophila suzukii

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at London

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

107 Verified sightings at London
December Best month

About the Spotted-Winged Drosophila

Drosophila suzukii, commonly called the spotted wing drosophila or SWD, is a fruit fly. D. suzukii, originally from southeast Asia, is becoming a major pest species in America and Europe because it infests fruit early during the ripening stage, in contrast with other Drosophila species that infest only rotting fruit.

Native to east Asia, D. suzukii was first described in 1931 by Shōnen Matsumura, it was observed in Japan as early as 1916 by T. Kanzawa. D. suzukii is a fruit crop pest and is a serious economic threat to soft summer fruit, i.e., cherries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, grapes, and others. Research investigating the specific threat D. suzukii poses to these fruit is ongoing.

Like other members of the Drosophilidae, D. suzukii is small, approximately 2 to 3.5 millimetres (5⁄64 to 9⁄64 in) in length and 5 to 6.5 millimetres (13⁄64 to 1⁄4 in) in wingspan and looks like its fruit and vinegar fly relatives. Its body is yellow to brown with darker bands on the abdomen and it has red eyes. The male has a distinct dark spot near the tip of each wing; females do not have the spotted wing. The foreleg of the male sports dark... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
2 Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
3 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
<5%
5 Paris 🇫🇷 France
<5%
6 Seattle 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
8 Portland 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Vancouver 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
10 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Spotted-Winged Drosophila in London?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted-Winged Drosophila sighting in London on a given day, based on 107 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 354th most-seen of the 1504 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Spotted-Winged Drosophila in London?

December

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted-Winged Drosophila in London on a given day, against under 5% in April–August and October, the lowest months.

Is London the best place to see a Spotted-Winged Drosophila?

Yes

Of the 14 cities where we can rate Spotted-Winged Drosophila sightings, London has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Berlin (Germany, under 5%) and Washington (United States, under 5%).

Where does the Spotted-Winged Drosophila sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Spotted-Winged Drosophila is recorded against all the insects logged in London (107 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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