Fact Sheets - Small Fruit Insects
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is an invasive insect pest from eastern Asia. In Utah, it was first detected in 2012 in Salt Lake City. Its broad host range includes fruit, vegetable, ornamental, and field crop plants; in Utah, it has primarily infested ornamental deciduous trees and shrubs in urban and residential landscapes.
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Management for Fruits And Vegetables
It is important to accurately identify and monitor brown marmorated stink bug and feeding damage before making any treatment. This fact sheet emphasizes identification, monitoring, and management of this pest.
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug - Parasitoids
The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is an invasive pest that damages fruit, vegetable, and nut crops in the U.S. Parasitoid wasps that sting and kill BMSB eggs are the most promising biological control method. This fact sheet describes some of the parasitoid wasps that have been found in Utah, as well as Trissolcus japonicus, a very effective parasitoid wasp that is native to BMSB’s home range and has been found in the U.S., but has not yet been detected in Utah.
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug - Samurai Wasp Parasitoid
In June 2019, the samurai wasp was discovered in Salt Lake City. This exotic parasitoid wasp is the most promising agent for biological control of BMSB and is uniquely evolved to lay its eggs inside of BMSB eggs.
Common Stink Bugs of Utah
This fact sheet provides descriptions and images of stink bugs, including the adult and immature stages, that are commonly encountered in gardens and farms in Utah.
Bumble Flower Beetle
Bumble flower beetles are common throughout the growing season on flowers, oozing sap, and other sweet, overripe, or fermenting matter. Bumble flower beetles seldom warrant the use of chemicals for control.
European Cherry Fruit Fly
The European cherry fruit fly (ECFF) is a new invasive pest from Europe that infests cherry fruit. It was first detected in North America in Ontario (2016), and in the U.S. in New York (2017). Larvae are the damaging life stage; they feed exclusively within fruits, causing them to rot and fall off the tree. In Europe, heavy infestations have resulted in 100% fruit loss. Spread occurs primarily through movement of infested fruit.
European Earwig
The European earwig is an omnivore; it feeds on detritus, fungi, plants, and insects. Earwigs can injure the buds, leaves, flowers, and fruits of a broad range of plants, including fruits, vegetables, and ornamentals; they can be a nuisance pest by entering buildings.
Invasive Insect Look-Alikes: Mistaken Identity
Pest identification is the cornerstone of integrated pest management, but is a skill that can be difficult to master. Mistakes in identification are common, as many insects look and act alike, and/or can cause similar injury.
Japanese Beetle
Japanese beetle was initially detected in Orem, Utah, in July 2006. Past eradication efforts were highly successful. However, constant pressure from travel and trade has resulted in a few additional captures in monitoring traps in recent years. Adults have a broad host range of more than 300 plant species and can cause significant damage.
Plum Curculio
Plum curculio is a small brown weevil (beetle with a snout) native to eastern North America where it is a major pest of pome and stone fruits. Plum curculio was detected in Box Elder County, Utah, in the early 1980s, and this population remains the only known infestation in western North America, where it is occasionally found in residential and wild fruit trees.
Raspberry Crown Borer
The raspberry crown borer attacks raspberry plants in northern Utah, causing cane-wilt and death. Crown borer has a 2-year life cycle; it spends much of it as a grub (larva) tunneling in the lower cane, crown and roots of raspberry plants.
Raspberry Horntail
The raspberry horntail is a caneboring wasp that can cause crop loss to raspberries in northern Utah. Apply insecticides in the spring targeting adults, to prevent egg-laying in the new canes. Infested canes often become evident during summer when tips wilt and die back.
Redberry Mite
Redberry mite is a microscopic, wormlike mite that is a pest of wild and cultivated blackberry. Damage includes deformed and discolored drupelets (small fruit sections) that remain hard and bright red, failing to mature normally.
Rose Stem Girdler
Rose stem girdler is a common cane-boring beetle of raspberry and blackberry in central and northern Utah. Larval feeding in the cambium under the cane bark causes spiral grooves and gall-like swellings; injured canes may wilt and break off.
Spider Mites in Raspberry
Spider mite feeding can cause 'mite burn' in raspberry plantings and is typically first observed on the lower leaves. The twospotted spider mite is the most common mite to attack raspberry in Utah. Populations can build quickly to high numbers during hot, dry conditions.
Spotted Lanternfly
Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) is a new invasive pest from China, first detected in the U.S. in Pennsylvania in 2014. SLF attacks more than 70 host plants, including grapes, fruit trees, hops, and hardwood ornamental trees. Extensive feeding results in weeping wounds, which combined with SLF's sugary excrement, can promote the growth of sooty mold, a gray-black fungus, that can impact plant vigor and crop yield.
Spotted Wing Drosophila
Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) is a new Utah pest (first found August, 2010) that can infest un-ripened (pre-harvest), ripe, over-ripe, and spoiled fruits. SWD attacks a broad range of fruits, including tree fruits, berry fruits, and vegetable fruits.
Western Flower Thrips
Western flower thrips (WFT) are a frequent pest of nectarine, and an occasional pest of apple and other fruits in Utah. WFT can be abundant on numerous weed and crop hosts. They cause damage by feeding on and laying eggs into fruit buds, flowers, and fruits; a halo or “pansy spot” can form.