Berry Insects & Mite Pests

Raspberry crown borer - This insect attacks many cane berries. Adults are black and yellow moths that mimic yellowjackets. 

Larvae are white with a brown head and burrow inside canes at the base of the crown. Affected plants have numerous, spindly canes.

Aphids – Different types of aphids may attack berries. They suck plant sap and can cause curled or wilting leaves. Sometimes fruit is damaged by mold growing on aphid "honeydew" that gets onto the berries.

Root weevils - Adults are red, brown, or black weevils with long snouts and rough looking skin. Their feeding causes notching on leaf edges.

Root weevil larva - Larvae of root weevils are C-shaped, white, and have a brown head. They have no legs and feed on the roots and crowns of berry plants.

Spider mites - Mites feed on leaf cells causing leaves to turn brown and dry up. They are found mostly on the bottom of the leaves and webbing is evident in high infestations.

Cyclamen mites - These are very small mites that are often not visible. They feed in the young, unfolding leaves causing plant stunting and distortion and lack of fruit.

 Leafrollers and leaftiers – These small, usually green caterpillars feed on fruit and leaves and roll them and tie leaves together where they feed. When disturbed, they move backwards rapidly and drop off the leaf.

Spittlebugs – Frothy spittle on the base of leaves or fruiting spears is a sure sign of spittlebugs. Feeding can cause leaves to twist and thickening and shortening of fruiting spears. These insects suck sap from the plant.

Leafhoppers – Many leafhoppers may attack berries. Feeding usually causes a stippling or mottling of the leaves.

 Raspberry sawfly – Larvae are pale green with white spiny knobs that feed between the leaf veins leaving a skeletonized appearance to the leave. Damage is usually confined to the bottom leaves.

 Western raspberry fruitworm - This is actually a beetle larva that burrows into buds and feeds on fruit of cane berries.

 Raspberry horntail - This white larva has a spine on the rear segment. It feeds in the tips of canes causing the tip to wilt.

 European earwig - Earwigs are found in most berries especially where weeds and debris are present.

 Sap or picnic beetles - These beetles usually only attack overripe berries or berries in contact with the ground. They are usually black and may have various spot patterns.

 Slugs - These shell-less snails rasp holes in leave and fruit. They leave slime trails where they travel and feed at night.

 Yellowjackets - Many types of yellowjackets feed upon ripe fruit and can be pestiferous to pickers. They are a problem mostly on later maturing berries.

 Thrips - These very small tan or white insects can attack leaves, flowers, or fruit. They rasp the surface where they feed causing leaves to "silver" and fruit to dry.

Lygus bugs - These active green sap suckers can migrate to berries from other crops. They cause misshapen fruit.

 Stink bugs - Damage by stinkbugs is similar to that of lygus and the cause distorted fruit. Berries that have had stinkbugs on the have an objectionable odor.