Quantitative Assessment of Insect Pest Damage to Figs

Previous researchers have listed insect pests associated with figs, but the proportion of damage caused by these different pests has not been described quantitatively. As broad spectrum insecticides are being replaced by less toxic but more species‐specific pest management methods, this information has become more important. We took harvest samples from three orchards in 2002, four in 2003, and six in 2004, and identified the insect pests responsible for defects among the samples. Diagnostic characteristics of damage to figs differed among common insect pests. Nitidulid beetles and navel orangeworm together usually accounted for > 90% of producers' losses to insect infestation. Losses from nitidulid beetles greatly exceeded those from navel orangeworm in the first year, but were similar in the remaining sites in the second and third year of the study. Mean infestation levels generally increased significantly as the harvest season progressed, but not at all sites. Producers should examine cull figs from their sorting lines over several years to determine which of these insect pests is most abundant in their locations.