Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

A roadmap to key traits of invasive Drosophilidae

Deconninck, Gwenaëlle LU orcid ; Raynaud-Berton, Bréa ; Boulembert, Méghan ; Chabrerie, Olivier ; Couty, Aude ; Dedeine, Franck ; Eslin, Patrice ; Foray, Vincent ; Georges, Romain and Gibert, Patricia , et al. (2026) In Biological Reviews
Abstract
ABSTRACT Biological invasions have intensified in recent decades, mostly driven by international trade and travel, raising significant concerns, particularly regarding insect pests. Once non-native species establish, they can disrupt natural ecosystem stability, undermine agroecosystem sustainability and cause substantial economic losses. The urgency to anticipate these socio-economic impacts has accelerated research into the traits and processes that predispose certain species to invasion success. Our review examines the factors contributing to invasion success, using the well-documented case of Drosophilidae as a model taxon given the extensive literature on this family. The invasion of Drosophila suzukii is the most well studied, yet it... (More)
ABSTRACT Biological invasions have intensified in recent decades, mostly driven by international trade and travel, raising significant concerns, particularly regarding insect pests. Once non-native species establish, they can disrupt natural ecosystem stability, undermine agroecosystem sustainability and cause substantial economic losses. The urgency to anticipate these socio-economic impacts has accelerated research into the traits and processes that predispose certain species to invasion success. Our review examines the factors contributing to invasion success, using the well-documented case of Drosophilidae as a model taxon given the extensive literature on this family. The invasion of Drosophila suzukii is the most well studied, yet it represents just one example among several Drosophilidae successful invasions, including those from the genera Drosophila, Scaptomyza and Zaprionus. Their traits and adaptive capacities have enabled them to overcome environmental barriers, facilitating their global spread and establishment. We first explore the selective forces acting on pioneer individuals and their ability to establish reproducing populations. We then analyse the roles of abiotic factors (through phenotypic plasticity, tolerance to thermal and water stress, synergies between multiple stressors) and biotic factors (through the exploitation of novel trophic niches, resistance to competition and predation, symbiont-mediated assistance) in shaping invasion success. A nuanced understanding of how these constraints interact is essential for predicting and managing the proliferation of invasive Drosophilidae and other non-native species. We propose that successful invasive species do not necessarily excel in one single trait but rather perform adequately across multiple traits and processes. In this review, we found support in the literature for 14 key traits and processes of Drosophilidae biology that facilitate a species' ability to become invasive and provide future perspectives to address critical knowledge gaps, paving the way towards a comprehensive understanding of invasion success. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and , et al. (More)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and (Less)
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
climate change, insects, invasion ecology, life-history traits, phenotypic plasticity
in
Biological Reviews
pages
25 pages
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • pmid:41740994
  • scopus:105031617712
ISSN
1464-7931
DOI
10.1002/brv.70148
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
26202610-123e-4a55-ad1d-41e0bba7b5a3
date added to LUP
2026-03-03 13:44:32
date last changed
2026-04-13 15:29:53
@article{26202610-123e-4a55-ad1d-41e0bba7b5a3,
  abstract     = {{ABSTRACT Biological invasions have intensified in recent decades, mostly driven by international trade and travel, raising significant concerns, particularly regarding insect pests. Once non-native species establish, they can disrupt natural ecosystem stability, undermine agroecosystem sustainability and cause substantial economic losses. The urgency to anticipate these socio-economic impacts has accelerated research into the traits and processes that predispose certain species to invasion success. Our review examines the factors contributing to invasion success, using the well-documented case of Drosophilidae as a model taxon given the extensive literature on this family. The invasion of Drosophila suzukii is the most well studied, yet it represents just one example among several Drosophilidae successful invasions, including those from the genera Drosophila, Scaptomyza and Zaprionus. Their traits and adaptive capacities have enabled them to overcome environmental barriers, facilitating their global spread and establishment. We first explore the selective forces acting on pioneer individuals and their ability to establish reproducing populations. We then analyse the roles of abiotic factors (through phenotypic plasticity, tolerance to thermal and water stress, synergies between multiple stressors) and biotic factors (through the exploitation of novel trophic niches, resistance to competition and predation, symbiont-mediated assistance) in shaping invasion success. A nuanced understanding of how these constraints interact is essential for predicting and managing the proliferation of invasive Drosophilidae and other non-native species. We propose that successful invasive species do not necessarily excel in one single trait but rather perform adequately across multiple traits and processes. In this review, we found support in the literature for 14 key traits and processes of Drosophilidae biology that facilitate a species' ability to become invasive and provide future perspectives to address critical knowledge gaps, paving the way towards a comprehensive understanding of invasion success.}},
  author       = {{Deconninck, Gwenaëlle and Raynaud-Berton, Bréa and Boulembert, Méghan and Chabrerie, Olivier and Couty, Aude and Dedeine, Franck and Eslin, Patrice and Foray, Vincent and Georges, Romain and Gibert, Patricia and Mouton, Laurence and Pincebourde, Sylvain and Renault, David and Suppo, Christelle and Colinet, Hervé}},
  issn         = {{1464-7931}},
  keywords     = {{climate change; insects; invasion ecology; life-history traits; phenotypic plasticity}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Biological Reviews}},
  title        = {{A roadmap to key traits of invasive Drosophilidae}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/brv.70148}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/brv.70148}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}