Spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, is a devastating invasive pest of small and stone fruits in the Americas and Europe. To better understand the population dynamics of D. suzukii, we reviewed recent work on juvenile development, adult reproduction, and seasonal variation in life history parameters including the abiotic/biotic factors that influence these processes. Juvenile development is optimal at moderately warm temperatures, and larvae exhibit some immunity to parasitism. Adults use visual cues and substrate-borne vibrations for courtship and exhibit a bimodal locomotor activity pattern (except mated females). Under 20–27 °C and various conditions, development from egg to adult can take 10–17 days, females first lay eggs within 1–8 days and their lifetime fecundity varies from <100 to >400. Oviposition is consistently high in raspberry hosts and fruits with lower penetration force, and the presence of Wolbachia endosymbionts can lower fertility. Drosophila suzukii exhibit seasonal variation with a darker winter morph that is more cold tolerant. Also, D. suzukii likely undergo reproductive diapause in the fall, with colder temperatures and shorter day lengths influencing reproduction. To develop viable IPM programs for D. suzukii, knowledge of abiotic and biotic conditions that impact D. suzukii life history parameters and population dynamics is critical, and gaps in the current knowledge are discussed.