The University of Tennessee at Knoxville

10/31/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/31/2024 12:32

The Conversation: In Hawaii, Parasites and Viruses Team Up in the Battle Against Fruit Flies – an Entomologist Explains the Implication for Global Pest Control

Take a stroll along one of the beaches on Hawaii Island in late summer, and you'll likely stumble upon almond-shaped fruits lying in the sand. Known as false kamani nuts or tropical almonds, they fall from tall, shady Terminalia catappa trees that line the many picturesque ocean views on the island.

But what may not be clear to the casual beachgoer is that there's a fight for survival occurring within the flesh of these unassuming fruits. Tropical almonds are one of many active battlegrounds in a war between a global agricultural pest, a parasitic wasp and a beneficial virus.

Coffman

Assistant Professor of Entomology and Plant Pathology Kelsey Coffman studies insect viruses. She and her colleagues studied parasitoid wasps and how they control fruit fly populations. Read about their findings at The Conversation.

UT is a member of The Conversation, an independent source for news articles and informed analysis written by the academic community and edited by journalists for the general public. Through this partnership, we seek to provide a better understanding of the important work of our researchers. Read more of our articles published by The Conversation on the UT news site.

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