A task force to develop alternative strategies against emerging alien pests: Drosophila suzukii and Halyomorpha halys in Northern Italy.

The Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii, and the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys, are two polyphagous invasive pests native to east Asia, recently introduced in Northern Italy. SWD is a pest of soft-skinned fruits such as cherries and berries, whereas BMSB can attack many fruits, and horticultural and ornamentals crops. After their introduction, specific field monitoring campaigns were conducted and allowed to recognize that both pests have increasingly expanding distribution ranges and are seriously threatening cherry and other fruit orchards. Studies are being performed on the biology and potential for biological control by autochtonous antagonists in the newly invaded areas. For both targets, applied research projects are being performed, aimed at: a) the implementation of monitoring methods to improve capture efficiency and selectivity, together with damage identification and evaluation, and b) the development of sustainable management strategies based on behaviour manipulation, such as mass trapping, attract-and-kill, push-pull, pest exclusion (anti-insect nets) and verify the potential of autochtonous antagonists.