A Comparison of the Drosophilidae Fauna of the Leithagebirge Slopes with That of the Adjacent Pannonian Plain (Austria, Burgenland), with Special Consideration of Vineyards and Forest Edges

The Drosophilidae fauna of vineyards and forest edges or hedges on the slopes of the Leithagebirge and the Pannonian Plain around Eisenstadt was surveyed. Traps containing an attractant liquid made of wine and fermenting grape juice were used for this purpose.Over the course of two years, 60,024 individuals were captured. The subsequent identification revealed seven genera and 36 species. The species composition differed significantly between vineyard leaves and forest edges. On the slopes, both in the vineyards and at the forest edges, as well as in the hedges of the plain, D. suzukii, a commercially relevant pest of thin-skinned fruits and berries, dominated. In the flatland vineyards, however, D. melanogaster and D. simulans, two closely related species that can be harmful due to the spread of acetic acid bacteria in viticulture, were more prevalent than on the slopes. Particularly in traps from the slope locations, D. subobscura was frequently recorded. Other species were relatively rarer in vineyards than at the forest edges.The statistical analysis revealed that significantly more individuals of D. suzukii were recorded in the slope and forest edge traps than in those from the plain or vineyards. While D. melanogaster and D. simulans also prefer the forest edge, they were more frequent in the plain than on the slope. D. subobscura, which is not relevant for viticulture, was captured more frequently at the forest edge and on the slope, just like D. suzukii. The same applies to D. testacea, though the difference between slope and plain was less pronounced. D. phalerata was only occasionally found in vineyards, with no significant difference between slope and plain. D. immigrans clearly prefers the forest edge over the vineyard leaves and, similar to D. melanogaster and D. simulans, the sample sites in the plain over those on the slope.