The raspberry beetle (''Byturus tomentosus'') is a species of beetle in the fruitworm family Byturidae. It is a major

pest Pest or The Pest may refer to: Science and medicine * Pest (organism), an animal or plant deemed to be detrimental to humans or human concerns ** Weed, a plant considered undesirable * Infectious disease, an illness resulting from an infection ** ...

that is widespread in north-central Europe, affecting

raspberry The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the rose family, most of which are in the subgenus '' Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Raspberries are perennial with w ...

, blackberry and loganberry plants. This species is related to the

raspberry fruitworm ''Byturus unicolor'', known generally as raspberry fruitworm, is a species of fruitworm beetle in the family Byturidae Byturidae, also known as Fruitworms, is a very small family of beetles, in the suborder Polyphaga, comprising fewer than 20 ...

(''B. urbanus'') which is native to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

Behaviour

The beetles find raspberry flowers using vision and smellWoodford, J. A. T., Birch, A. N. E., Gordon, S. C., Griffiths, D. W., McNicol, J. W., & Robertson, G. W. (2003). Controlling raspberry beetle without insecticides. IOBC WPRS BULLETIN, 26(2), 87-92. and lay eggs on them, which hatch into pale brown larvae. The larvae feed on the developing fruit and cause the fruit to appear smaller and shriveled. The female adult beetles can lay up to 120 eggs. Adult beetles also feed on the leaves of the plant and its flowers. Grown beetles overwinter in the soil below their host plants.Hanni, L., & Luik, A. (2006). Parasitism of raspberry beetle (Byturus tomentosus F.) larvae in different cropping techniques of red raspberry. Agron. Res, 4, 187-190.

Pest control

Because the larvae are hidden in the raspberry fruit during most growing stages, natural predators do not have a large influence on the beetle population. The raspberry beetle is often controlled by use of derris, a

pesticide Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests. This includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, microbicide, fungicide, and lampri ...

. Although experts in ecological and organic growing no longer consider derris ecologically sound, Rotenone which is made from derris is still sold in the U.S. Some wild raspberry species are resistant against the beetle larvae.

Economic significance

image:Frambozenkever.jpg, Raspberry beetle larva on a

The pest damages both wild and cultivated raspberries and also blackberries. The beetles eat portions of the flowers and young leaflets and lay their eggs between the stamens and pistils. The larvae tunnel in the developing fruit which remain small, become pale in colour, fade or rot. The larvae then drop to the soil and pupate underground. Control measures include digging-over the soil around bushes and inter-row ploughing. Chemical pesticides may be applied at the flowering stage. White sticky traps are sometimes used to catch beetles.

References

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1447372 Beetles described in 1774 Beetles of Europe Byturidae