Tuesday, December 12, 2006
D0343

Comparison of insect pests infesting figs of Calimyrna and common type varieties

David Brandl, dbrandl@fresno.ars.usda.gov and Charles Burks, cburks@fresno.ars.usda.gov. USDA-ARS, 9611 S. Riverbend Ave, Parlier, CA

Periodic sampling from the breba (spring) crop was used to examine species and stages of insects infesting fig, Ficus carica L., cultivars Conadria and DiRedo at three locations, and harvest samples of the main (fall) crop were used to compare insect pests infesting these varieties with those infesting Calimyrna.  A complex of nitidulid beetles including the driedfruit beetle Carpophilus hemipterus L., C. freemani (Dobson), and C. mutilatis (Erichson) and the navel orangeworm Amyelois transitella (Walker) were primary pests of all varieties.  The raisin moth Cadra figulilella (Gregson), which infests Calimyrna infrequently, was more frequent in Conadria and DiRedo  The overall proportion of infested figs was lower in Conadria and DiRedo compared to Calimyrna, but the proportion of infestation due to Lepidoptera was larger in Conadria and DiRedo compared to Calimyrna.  Nitidulids infested figs at earlier developmental stages than the other species, raisin moth infested only the most mature figs, and navel orangeworm infestation occurred at intermediate stages of development.



Species 1: Coleoptera Nitidulidae Carpophilus hemipterus (dried fruit beetle)
Species 2: Lepidoptera Pyralidae Amyelois transitella (navel orangeworm)
Species 3: Lepidoptera Pyralidae Cadra figulilella (raisin moth)