DOI: 10.5061/dryad.bcc2fqzr7
title: Temporal fluctuations and geographic distributions of Leptopilina (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) species in North Carolina: Implications for biological control of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

description: To better understand populations of spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila
 suzukii) parasitoids, especially the newly established Leptopilina
 japonica, we compare detection methods and report on temporal fluctuations
 and geographic distributions in North Carolina blackberry fields. Data
 were collected from October 2022 to November 2023.
description: <em>Comparison of detection methods</em>
 In October 2022 and November 2022, we compared three sampling
 methods: liquid traps, incubated fruit, and sentinel traps. Sentinel traps
 were prepared at the Beneficial Insects Lab of the North Carolina
 Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Biological Control
 Program prior to being placed in the field. All samples, after being
 collected from the field, were brought back to the Specialty Crops
 Integrated Pest and Pollinator Management Laboratory at North Carolina
 State University for processing. <em>Additional
 detection method testing</em> Based on our
 experience with the above methods, we collected additional samples in 2023
 during peak blackberry harvest. We only used liquid traps and fruit
 incubation to collect samples, but collected samples of both crop fruit
 and wild fruit. After being collected from the field, samples were
 processed as detailed above. <em>Temporal
 fluctuations of </em>Leptopilina<em>
 Species</em> To understand temporal fluctuations
 of <em>Leptopilina</em> species, we collected samples via
 liquid traps at one site for one calendar year from October 2022 to
 November 2023. After being collected from the field, samples were
 processed as detailed above. <em>Geographic
 Distribution of </em>Leptopilina<em> Species in Southeastern
 Blackberry Fields</em> To understand the
 geographical distribution of <em>Leptopilina</em> species
 across North Carolina blackberry fields, we collected samples via liquid
 traps from four sites and processed samples as detailed above.
description: # Temporal fluctuations and geographic distributions of Leptopilina
 (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) species in North Carolina: Implications for
 biological control of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Dataset
 DOI: [10.5061/dryad.bcc2fqzr7](10.5061/dryad.bcc2fqzr7) ## Description of
 the data and file structure Levenson et al dataset 1: specimens collected
 under the *Comparison of detection methods*, *Additional detection method
 testing*, *Temporal fluctuations of Leptopilina* Species, *Geographic
 Distribution of Leptopilina* Species in Southeastern Blackberry
 Fields sections. Levenson et al dataset 2: details of wild and crop fruit
 samples collected under *Comparison of detection methods* and *Additional
 detection method testing* sections. ### Files and variables #### File:
 Levenson\_et\_al\_dataset1.csv **Description:** specimens collected under
 the *Comparison of detection methods*,*Additional detection method
 testing*, *Temporal fluctuations of Leptopilina* Species, *Geographic
 Distribution of Leptopilina* Species in Southeastern Blackberry
 Fields sections. ##### Variables * year: year when samples were collected
 (2022 or 2023) * data type: what section the data were collected under;
 options include detection (*Comparison of detection methods*), temporal
 (*Temporal fluctuations of Leptopilina Species*), spatial (*Geographic
 Distribution of Leptopilina Species in Southeastern Blackberry Fields*),
 and additional (*Additional detection method testing*). * site code: where
 the samples were collected; options include Site 1, Site 2, Site 3, Site
 4, Site 5, Site 6. Sites 1 - 3 are research stations and Sites 4 - 6 are
 commercial farms. * institution code: sample id for each specimen used in
 the Specialty Crops Integrated Pest and Pollinator Management lab at North
 Carolina State University. A value of "." notes a sample that
 has not currently received an anonymized institution code. * sample type:
 how the specimen was collected; options include Liquid Trap, Sentinel
 Trap, Fruit Incubation, Wild Fruit, and Crop Fruit. * month of collection:
 month and year combination for when each specimen was collected. Date
 range includes October 2022 to November 2023. * id: species identification
 of each specimen. Only specimens that could be identified to species are
 included. #### File: Levenson\_et\_al\_dataset2.csv
 **Description:** details of wild and crop fruit samples collected
 under *Comparison of detection methods* and* Additional detection method
 testing* sections. ##### Variables * year: year when samples were
 collected (2022 or 2023) * date: date (in month/day/year format) when
 sample was collected * data type: what section the data were collected
 under; options include detection (*Comparison of detection methods*) and
 additional (*Additional detection method testing*). * site: where the
 samples were collected; options include Site 1, Site 2, Site 3, Site 4,
 Site 6. Sites 1 - 3 are research stations and Sites 4 - 6 are commercial
 farms. * sample id: internal code used for each fruit sample used in the
 Specialty Crops Integrated Pest and Pollinator Management lab at North
 Carolina State University. * fruit type: how the specimen was collected;
 options include Sentinel Trap, Fruit Incubation, Wild Fruit, and Crop
 Fruit. * fruit: what type of fruit the sample consisted of. * fruit
 number: how many individual fruits were included in the sample. A value of
 "." notes where this measurement was not taken. * fruit wgt: how
 much the sample weighed, in grams. A value of "." notes where
 this measurement was not taken. * number of parasitoid: total number of
 parasitoids that emerged from the sample. * number of species: how many
 parasitoid species emerged from the sample. * number of Lj: how
 many* Leptopilina japonica*, specifically, emerged from the sample.