Blueberry IPM in Florida Oscar E. Liburd, PhD Associate Professor Entomology and Nematology Department University of Florida

Chronological Order of Blueberry pests Blueberry bud mite Cranberry fruitworm Blueberry gall midge Flea beetle Flower thrips Spotted wing drosophila

Flower Thrips, Frankliniella bispinosa Ovipositional Injury Travel along wind currents Multiple generations per year

Size of thrips populations in relation to flower phenology Percentages of opened flowers

Flower thrips (left); Chilli thrips (right) ( Scirtothrips dorsalis )

Injuries resulting from chilli thrips

Management of thrips  Monitoring for adults White sticky boards floral tapping on white paper  Conventional insecticides Delegate 3-6 oz per acre (biological Insecticide) Malathion (organophosphate) Assail (Neo-nicotinoid)  Organic insecticide Entrust

Blueberry gall midge, Dasineura oxycoccana (Johnson)

Blueberry gall midge

Management of blueberry gall midge  Monitoring for adult emergence Bucket traps  Conventional insecticides Delegate 3-6 oz per acre (Biological Insecticide) Malathion (organophosphate) **Assail (Neo-nicotinoid)  Organic insecticide Entrust, Pyganic

Blueberry bud mite, Acalitus vaccinii (Keifer) The mite is whitish, elongate and very small (1/125 of an inch long) Feeds on the under-scale of buds

Blueberry bud mite injury Bud scale under dis Mcro. Confused with frost damage Fewer fruits with Pimpeling

Management of blueberry bud mite  Removal of infected branches through pruning  Pruning old canes  Post-harvest application insecticide/miticides such as endosulfan  Summer oils

Cranberry Fruitworm, Acrobasis vaccinii Riley

Cranberry Fruitworm Larvae are light green with a dark head capsule Mature larvae are about ½ inch in length Silk webbing deformed

Management of cranberry fruitworm  Monitoring for adults Conventional Insecticide Delegate Assail Confirm 2F (tebufenozide) Organic Insecticide Entrust Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)

Blueberry maggot

Management of blueberry maggot  Monitoring for adults Conventional Insecticide Assail Imidan Organic Insecticide Entrust Monitoring trap for BMF

 Several generations per year  Larvae develop inside fruit  Fruit becomes soft and un- marketable Spotted Wing Drosophila

Management of Spotted Wing Drosophila  Monitoring for adults Conventional Insecticide Delegate Mustang Organic Insecticide Entrust Monitoring trap for SWD

Bait Solution Spotted Wing Drosophila Yeast-Sugar Bait Solution Recipe: 2 teaspoons of bakers yeast 4 teaspoons of sugar 2 cups of water Mix and pour ≈1 ½ inches of yeast bait into cup

Flea beetles in Blueberry Colaspis pseudofavosa Damage Blueberry leaf beetle

Flea beetles in Blueberry Systena frontalis Damage Red-headed flea beetle

Management of flea beetles  Monitoring for adults Conventional Insecticide Assail Mustang Organic Insecticide Entrust Monitoring for flea beetles

Common Beneficial Insects Coleoptera - Coccinellidae; lady beetles - Carabidae; ground beetles Aphids thrips Weed seeds Lepidoptera eggs

Bigeyed bug, Geocoris spp. Minute pirate bug, Orius spp. Hemiptera Common Beneficial Insects

Green lacewings Hover or Flower flies Common Beneficial Insects Neuroptera Diptera

Acknowledgements Small Fruit and Vegetable IPM Lab Florida Blueberry Growers Association for our funding research (352)