4 Spot Sap Beetle

• 4 Spot Sap Beetle Identification
• 4 Spot Sap Beetle
• 4 Spot Sap Beetle Life Cycle
• 4 Spot Sap Beetle Insecticide

The sap beetles, also known as Nitidulidae, are a family of beetles.

Most sap beetles are small, 12 mm in length or less, and generally elongate or oval. Members of this family vary considerably in size, shape and habits. Our most common sap beetle, also called the picnic beetle and the four-spotted sap beetle, is a small dark beetle about 1/4 inch long with two yellow spots on each wing cover. It is difficult to make out the details of the individuals in your photo, but we nonetheless believe they are Sap Feeding Beetles in the family Nitidulidae, possibly Glischrochilus quadrisignatus, the 4-Spotted Sap Beetle which is pictured on BugGuide. Thank you very much for the information! That looks to be the correct match!

They are small (2–6 mm) ovoid, usually dull-coloured beetles, with knobbed antennae. Some have red or yellow spots or bands. They feed mainly on decaying vegetable matter, over-ripe fruit, and sap. Sap beetles coexist with fungi species and live in habitats of coniferous trees. They are found all across Europe and Siberia and are the biggest nutudulid specias know in those areas. ^[1] There are a few pest species. An example of a pest species is the strawberry sap beetle that infest crops in Brazil between the months of August and February. ^[2]

• the picnic beetle, Glischrochilus quadrisignatus
• the dusky sap beetle, Carpophilus lugubris
• the strawberry sap beetle, Stelidota geminata
• the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida

Classification[edit]

The family includes these genera:^{[citation needed]}

• Subfamily CalonecrinaeKirejtshuk, 1982
• Subfamily MaynipeplinaeKirejtshuk, 1998
• Subfamily EpuraeinaeKirejtshuk, 1986
• Subfamily CarpophilinaeErichson, 1842
  • CarpophilusStephens, 1830
  • EpuraeaErichson, 1843
  • UrophorusMurray, 1864
• Subfamily AmphicrossinaeKirejtshuk, 1986
• Subfamily MeligethinaeThomson, 1859
  • MeligethesStephens, 1830
  • PriaStephens, 1830
• Subfamily NitidulinaeLatreille, 1802
  • AmphotisErichson, 1843
  • CychramusKugelann, 1794
  • CyllodesErichson, 1843
  • IpidiaErichson, 1843
  • NitidulaFabricius, 1775
  • OmositaErichson, 1843
  • PhysoroniaReitter, 1884
  • PocadiusErichson, 1843
  • SoroniaErichson, 1843
  • ThalycraErichson, 1843
  • TumidaMurray, 1867
• Subfamily CillaeinaeKirejtshuk & Audisio, 1986
  • CillaeopeplusSharp, 1908
• Subfamily CryptarchinaeThomson, 1859
  • CryptarchaShuckard, 1839
  • GlischrochilusReitter, 1873
  • PityophagusShuckard, 1839
• Subfamily CybocephalinaeJacquelin du Val, 1858 (now frequently elevated to family status as Cybocephalidae)
  • CybocephalusErichson, 1844
  • PastillusEndrödy-Younga, 1962
• Subfamily Prometopinae
• incertae sedis

References[edit]

1. ^Audisio, P., Cline, A., Mancini, E., Trizzino, M., Clayhills, T., Cline, A., & Sabatelli, S. (2016).
2. ^Moliterno, A., Martins, C., Szczerbowski, D., Zawadneak, M., & Zarbin, P. (2017). The Male Produced Aggregation Pheromone of a Strawberry Sap Beetle, Lobiopa insularis (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae). Journal Of Chemical Ecology, 43(6), 550-556. doi: 10.1007/s10886-017-0851-y

External links[edit]

• sap beetles of Florida on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
• Key to the British genera of family Nitidulidae^{[permanent dead link]}

Thank you for the question. If you are finding little white worms in the berry itself it may be Spotted wing drosophila [SWD] larvae; SWD are fruit flies that cut a slit in the fruit and lay their eggs and when the eggs hatch the larvae eat the fruit from the inside.

4 Spot Sap Beetle Identification

The insect you see with the 4 spots may be a sap or picnic beetle. The most common picnic beetle (family Nitidulidae) is a small (¼ inch long), black insect with four yellowish-orange spots on the back. Adult beetles are attracted to all types of overripe and decaying fruit. Although not attracted to ripe, undamaged raspberries, these can be damaged once picnic beetles are in the garden
There are cultural steps to take to minimize SWD and sap beetle problems. Note that most of these steps are the very same steps recommended for minimizing most problems with raspberries.

a) Pick fruit as soon as possible. With raspberries, this means harvesting as soon as you can pull the fruit from the plant. If you notice any raspberry fruit with juice inside the caps, discard these berries, preferably after checking for larvae.
b) Harvest thoroughly. Even if you need to pay someone to pull off old fruit, keeping the planting clean will be worthwhile for a number of reasons in addition to this one.
c) Dispose of unwanted fruit in a way that will keep fruit flies from using it as a food source or from hatching from it.
d) What insecticides work if they become necessary? Effective insecticides for which are label specific for spotted wing drosophila have been issued. These are registered on raspberries and blackberries: Danitol (fenpropathrin); Delegate (spinetoram); Entrust and Success (spinosad); Mustang Max (zeta-cypermethrin); and Pyganic (pyrethrins). Other materials registered on caneberries for other pests are also effective on SWD. One big concern is development of SWD populations that are resistant to certain insecticides. This pest has a very short life cycle, so please be sure to use materials from different activity groups for subsequent sprays. It should be noted that the residual activity has sometimes been reported to be shorter than what is listed here, so close watch for return of adults will be needed. And if you choose chemicals: read and follow the directions implicitly for your health and the health of the environment.

If you decide to use an insecticide, please use it when pollinators are less active such as early morning hours on quiet windless days to minimize drift.

Raspberries infested with SWD larva, typically rot from inside within a few days. It's your choice whether or not to keep your jams or sauces but I would think that the cooking process killed any larva that were inside berries that appeared healthy. Information taken from the third publication below reads as follows:

4 Spot Sap Beetle

'During minor infestations, infested fruit can be processed into wine or jelly. During severe infestations, the berries are difficult to harvest and should not be processed'.

4 Spot Sap Beetle Life Cycle

4 Spot Sap Beetle Insecticide

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