ARS | Publication request: INSECT AND MITES OF TEMPERATE ZONE TREE FRUITS

Submitted to: Concise Encyclopedia of Temperate Zone Tree Fruits
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: September 12, 2002
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: The most important pests of stone and pome fruit are persistent pests that cause serious economic damage annually if they are not controlled. They belong to two classes found within the phylum Arthropoda, Insecta (insects) and Arachnida (mites). These pests can be divided into two categories, direct and indirect pests. Direct pests attack fruit and fruit buds causing immediate injury. In some cases, damage is cosmetic, not affectin nutritional value or flavor, but diminishing aesthetic quality for marketing purposes. Indirect pests attack foliage, roots, limbs or other woody tissues leading to problems such as reduced tree vigor, fruit size and/or quality and susceptibility to opportunistic secondary infections. Each growing region is prone to injury from a unique complex of pests. The pest species and groups described here are those considered to be of greatest concern on a global scale.