The Potential of Plant-Based Biorational Products for the Drosophila suzukii Control: Current Status, Opportunities, and Limitations

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is an invasive species that causes serious damage to soft-skinned fruits. The use of plant-based biorational insecticides (plant extracts and essential oils) to control this pest has grown extensively. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the current status, trends, and perspectives of these studies, with a focus on the plant families and major compounds used as insecticides to control D. suzukii. The first article in this research field was published in 2015, and there has been exponential growth in subsequent years. Thirty-six botanical families were studied in these articles, with a prevalent interest in Myrtaceae and Lamiaceae plant species. The major constituents of these plant-based biorational molecules belong to monoterpenoids, followed by monoterpenes, benzene derivatives, and others. Geranial was the most frequent major constituent of these plant-based compounds. Our analysis revealed a few crucial consequences of the bias provided by the investigations using plant-based biorational insecticides for controlling D. suzukii. Firstly, there is a major focus on the pest species, with little or no attention paid to undesired effects on non-target beneficial organisms (e.g., pollinator bees, predators; parasitoids) and non-target pests. Secondly, the poor knowledge of how these plant-based biorational insecticides act on target and non-target organisms. Finally, there is a need to assess the efficacy of these substances under field conditions. Thus, attention is needed to address these gaps so that plant-based biorational insecticides can become a viable pest management tool for controlling D. suzukii.