Australian Stonefruit Grower Magazine Issue 2 August 2016 | Page 34

Research

A RECENT WORKSHOP FOCUSED
ON FRUIT FLIES’ OF FLIGHT
DISTANCE, HOST PREFERENCE
AND OVERWINTERING ABILITY.
DR PENNY MEASHAM EXPLAINS

Where does a fruit fly fly?
By Penny Measham

The Adaptive Area Wide Management project includes a component matching our
knowledge of fly biology to its physical environment. This involves looking at the
landscape, and matching it with current knowledge of Queensland fruit fly ecology. This
can help us predict where and when Qfly will occur.

N

ot only will this aid targeting of Area Wide

the workshop focused on current understanding of flight

Management efforts, but also inform the future use

distance, host preference and overwintering ability.

of SIT.

A Flight of Entomologists

A huge amount of time, money and resources have been

Rieks van Klinken (CSIRO), who have previously applied
this approach to other pests.
Twelve fruit fly entomologists from around Australia

spent studying Australia’s pest fruit flies. The Australian

attended the Brisbane workshop. They included

researchers who have worked on the ecology and

researchers with expertise in regions stretching from

management of these pests have several hundred years of

tropical Queensland to Sunraysia, the Goulburn Valley in

experience between them.

Victoria and the Riverland in South Australia.

A two-day event was held to bring together that

34

The workshop was facilitated by Justine Murray and

The effects of climate stress, host availability and

experience, with the aim of producing a comprehensive

roosting site availability on fly behaviour were discussed.

model of what we know about fruit fly ecology. In particular

The group also considered the likelihood of a commodity

Australian Stonefruit Grower | august 2016

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