The raspberry beetle (''Byturus tomentosus'') is a species of

beetle Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...

in the fruitworm family Byturidae. It is a major pest that is widespread in north-central

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, affecting

raspberry The raspberry is the edible fruit of several plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the Rosaceae, rose family, most of which are in the subgenus ''Rubus#Modern classification, Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Ras ...

blackberry BlackBerry is a discontinued brand of handheld devices and related mobile services, originally developed and maintained by the Canadian company Research In Motion (RIM, later known as BlackBerry Limited) until 2016. The first BlackBerry device ...

and

loganberry The loganberry (''Rubus'' × ''loganobaccus'') is a hybrid of the North American blackberry ('' Rubus ursinus'') and the European raspberry (''Rubus idaeus''), accidentally bred in 1881 by James Harvey Logan, for whom they are named. They are ...

plants. This species is related to the raspberry fruitworm (''B. urbanus'') which is native to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

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 used to control pests. They include herbicides, insecticides, nematicides, fungicides, and many others (see table). The most common of these are herbicides, which account for approximately 50% of all p ...

. 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