Host Utilization and Phenology of Injury by Plum Curculio (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in West Virginia

Host utilization by plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), among 8 species of tree fruit was tested under natural orchard conditions in eastern West Virginia. Cohorts of fruit on apricot, European plum, Japanese plum, peach, sweet cherry, sour cherry, pear and apple were examined periodically from just after fruit set to harvest for the appearance of oviposition injury. Percentage of dropped fruit with plum curculio oviposition also was recorded. Fruit also was harvested and evaluated for the presence of oviposition scars, adult feeding, and internal larvae. Apricot had the highest percentage of injury followed by Japanese plum, European plum, apple, peach, sweet cherry, sour cherry and pear. In plum, there was in increase in the percentage of fruit on the tree with oviposition injury from fruit set to harvest; whereas, with the other fruit the percentage of injury on the tree remained relatively constant beyond about a month after fruit set.