"Over the decades, Harvey and others within the Yakama Nation have worked to defend the tribe's treaty-protected huckleberries in southwestern Washington's Gifford Pinchot National Forest from a variety of threats, including commercial pickers, tree encroachment from federal fire-suppression policies and, more recently, an invasive fruit fly, called the spotted wing drosophila. Unlike other fruit flies that target overripe fruits, the spotted wing, which is native to Southeast Asia, lays its eggs inside berries as they ripen."
"The larvae feed on the fruit, causing berries to soften and rot. "We didn't want to eat them because there were so many worms - little larvae coming out," Harvey said. "It was really gross." Harvey brought the issue up to U.S. Forest Service officials repeatedly over the years, asking what they planned to do to stop the insect from spreading. They told her that they lacked the money to study it."
Elaine Harvey discovered larvae emerging from freshly picked huckleberries while washing three gallons of berries. The Yakama Nation has defended treaty-protected huckleberries in Gifford Pinchot National Forest from commercial picking, tree encroachment caused by fire-suppression policies, and invasive pests. The spotted wing drosophila, native to Southeast Asia, lays eggs in ripening berries; larvae feed inside fruit, causing softening and rot. U.S. Forest Service officials said they lacked funds to study the insect. Heritage University partnered with the Yakama Nation to send five students from Heritage University and Northwest Indian College to monitor fruit fly traps for ten weeks. Traps captured flies in the Sawtooth Berry Fields and on the reservation.
Read at High Country News
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