Byturus Tomentosus

a raspberry fruitworm beetle of the family Byturidae; a dangerous pest of raspberries. Body length, 3.8-4.3 mm. Byturus tomentosus is gray-black and covered with dense, rusty yellow hairs. Distributed in Europe and Asia, it is found in the USSR in the Caucasus and Western Siberia. The beetle gnaws on the buds and young leaves of raspberry, blackberry, stone bramble, and cloudberry plants, while its larvae develop in the ovaries and aggregate fruits. The damaged berries rot. One or two beetles can damage 4-6 percent of the berries on a bush. The insect winters in the soil in the imago and larval phases. Control measures include tilling the soil under the bushes, removing and destroying wormy berries during routine gathering, and spraying the bushes with insecticides at the first appearance of flower buds (seven to ten days before flowering).