Cranberry-pest
Guides
Chrysoteuchia topiarius
Topiary Grass-veneer, Subterranean Sod Webworm, Cranberry Girdler
Chrysoteuchia topiarius is a small crambid moth with a wingspan of 17–20 mm, distributed across most of North America. Adults are active from late June to early August in a single annual generation. The species is known by multiple common names reflecting its larval habits: subterranean sod webworm refers to its grass-feeding larvae that live in silk-lined tunnels, while cranberry girdler indicates damage to cranberry plants. The species was first described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1866.
Coptodisca negligens
Coptodisca negligens is a minute leaf-mining moth described by Annette Frances Braun in 1920. Adults are active in late June to mid-July and possess distinctive metallic forewings with orange-yellow tips. The larvae are specialized feeders on cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), mining between leaf layers and occasionally reaching pest status in cultivated bogs.
Lichnanthe
Lichnanthe, bumble bee scarab beetles
Lichnanthe is a genus of scarab beetles in the family Glaphyridae, commonly known as bumble bee scarab beetles. The genus contains approximately 10 described species distributed in North America. Members are known for their resemblance to bumble bees, an apparent case of mimicry. The genus was established by Burmeister in 1844.
Rhabdopterus picipes
Cranberry Rootworm
Rhabdopterus picipes, commonly known as the cranberry rootworm, is a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. This species is native to North America and is associated with cranberry cultivation, where its larval feeding on roots can cause economic damage. The specific epithet 'picipes' refers to the dark, pitch-black coloration of the legs. Despite its common name, detailed biological information remains sparse in published literature.
Scolioneura vaccinii
Scolioneura vaccinii is a species of sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae, described in 2015 from British Columbia, Canada. The species is associated with Vaccinium (blueberry/cranberry) plants, as indicated by its specific epithet. It belongs to a small genus of blennocampine sawflies whose larvae are leaf miners.
Sparganothis sulfureana
sparganothis fruitworm moth, blueberry leafroller
Sparganothis sulfureana is a tortricid moth and major agricultural pest of cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) in North America. Larvae cause economic damage through two distinct feeding behaviors: spring feeding on new foliar growth reduces photosynthetic capacity, while second-generation larvae bore into enlarging berries, with each larva destroying 3–5 berries. The species is bivoltine, overwintering as first-instar larvae, and has been documented on multiple host plants including blueberry, apple, alfalfa, celery, and pine. Management relies on integrated pest management strategies including degree-day models for timing insecticide applications, flooding, and developing pheromone-based mating disruption.
Systena frontalis
red-headed flea beetle, Red-headed Systena
Systena frontalis, commonly known as the red-headed flea beetle, is a flea beetle species in the family Chrysomelidae native to North America. It has become a significant economic pest of ornamental plant nurseries across the central and eastern United States, particularly affecting container-grown plants. Adults feed on foliage, creating shotholes and skeletonization that reduce plant salability. The species has expanded its pest status to cranberry production systems and shows a broad host range encompassing numerous woody ornamental species. Its biology includes holometabolous development with four larval instars, and it overwinters as eggs in growing medium or soil.