Premature Fruit Drop Caused by Eurytoma amygdali (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae) on Three Almond Varieties

Abstract

A test was conducted to determine the effect of oviposition by Eurytoma amygdali Enderlein on fruit drop on almond trees. Almond twigs of 3 cultivars were oviposited upon either by wasps released on caged almond twigs or by the natural orchard population for various periods. Infested fruits suffered a heavy premature drop in the "Texas" (Mission) and "Ferragnes", but not in "Truoito". To control this insect, systemic insecticides are used to kill the hatching larvae in the fruit. The current results suggest a change in control strategy, using adulticidal rather than larvicidal sprays, to prevent oviposition in varieties susceptible to such fruit drop.