Data Supporting the Article: Efficacy of Protective Nets against Drosophila suzukii: Abiotic Factors and Influence of Temperature on Body Size

Resumo

The <i>Drosophila suzukii</i> is an invasive pest that poses a significant threat to fruit crops worldwide, leading to considerable agricultural losses and economic damage. In contrast to chemical control measures against <i>D. suzukii</i>, the integration of insect netting with other strategies within an integrated pest management framework offers a more sustainable solution. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of nine commercial protective screens against this pest, focusing on determining optimal hole dimensions based on the assessment of airflow velocity and temperature effects on net performance. An experimental protocol was developed under laboratory conditions to simulate field scenarios. Our hypothesis, that higher air velocities and elevated temperatures reduce net efficacy, was confirmed by significant declines in performance as both factors increased. We examined body size variation in a lab-reared <i>D. suzukii</i> population across temperatures. Morphometric analyses revealed significant sexual dimorphism, with females generally larger than males, and a clear influence of temperature on body size: flies reared at lower temperatures were consistently larger. These findings highlight the importance of considering both abiotic factors and pest morphology when evaluating protective screens, challenging the assumption that exclusion net efficacy remains constant.