So a Drosophila suzukii and a Halyomorpha halys walk into a bar… If you’re like most people, what happens next is a Google search to figure out who, or what this Droso and Haly-thing are. But if you are one of the many growers here in the Gorge you know that when a spotted wing drosophila and marmorated stink bug wander into a bar there’s trouble ahead. Because that bar is actually your orchard, full of plump cherries and pears ready to be sawed into, or pierced, and then sucked by these insects. Cherry growers in Washington and Oregon must watch out for all sorts of insects, including leafhoppers, who can infect their trees with Cherry-X Disease. In 2020 WA and OR cherry growers had an estimated cost impact of $30 million due to Cherry-X Disease. But the battle of the bugs goes both ways. In a pear orchard nearby, Trissolcus japonicas – the samurai wasp – is hard at work destroying the eggs of the stink bug. And several parasitoid wasp species are being used to stem the tide of future spotted wing drosophila populations. Join Maggie Freeman, Entomologist and lifelong bug-lover, for a closer look at how insects impact the Gorge and what the future might hold for our insect allies and adversaries. *Local 4-H Bug Club members will be on-hand in the lobby before the show to share their insect collections.