Insect Note #B-1 (Revised)

Dated 6/94
Placed on the Web 5/1995 by the Department of Entomology, NCSU
Revised: 2/05

Four Economic Larvae of Blueberries at Harvest Time

Four larvae which may be found in marketed berries and cause severe economic loss and possible condemnation of shipments are the plum cucurlio, cranberry fruitworm, cherry fruitworm, and blueberry maggot.

Insects of minor importance that may damage fruit by puncturing or chewing are the leaf-footed bug, stink bug, and Japanese beetle.

Management of fruit insect pests is essential for the production and marketing of high quality berries. Refer to the N.C. Agricultural Chemicals Manual for control recommendations. Your County Cooperative Extension Office has a copy of this and related publications.

Blueberry integrated pest management programs are presently being developed. Basically, these programs center on insect detection and assessment with the aid of traps and systematic field sampling and scouting procedures. Other components address disease, herbicide applications, and recommended agronomic and horticultural practices. Such an approach to pest control utilizes the latest technology in an integrated, safe, and efficient manner. For further information, please contact your local County Cooperative Extension Office.

         Four Insect Larvae that May be Found in Blueberry Fruit at Harvest Time*

Insect         Adult              Eggs             Larvae or worms           Over-     No of 
                                                                             winter    genera-
                                                                             stage     tions  

Plum        dark brown snout   laid in cresent-   white, legless grub        adult       2
cucurlio    beetle, easily     shaped scars in    with brown head;     
            jarred out of      green berries      feeds on only one berry

Cranberry   inconspicuous      laid on insect     last stage larva is        pupa        2+
fruitworm   dusk-flying moth   rim of calyx cup   usually reddish-yellow  
                               of green berries   dorsally and green
                                                  elsewhere; webs to-
                                                  gether clusters of berries,
                                                  may destroy as many as
                                                  four berries

Cherry      inconspicuous      laid on leaves,    red caterpillar,    larva       1
fruitworm   dusk-flying moth   usually under      usually feeds on more than
                               surfaces and on    one berry; does not web
                               green berries      berries together

Blueberry   fly (about house   laid just under-   white, legless, apparent-  pupa        1
maggot**    fly size) with     neath skin in      ly headless maggot;
            dark bands on      green or ripe      causes berry to become soft
            wings; very        berries            and juicy; feeds on only one
            active and hard   
            to see in ordinary
            infestations

*Adult and egg stages are described for association and reference.  All of these insects pass
through a complete metamorphosis, i.e., egg, larva, pupa, adult.

**Yellow sticky traps are most useful for adult fly detection and are available commercially.