Raspberry Cane Borer, Oberea bimaculata (Olivier)

I. Introduction: This cerambycid beetle is about 12 mm (1/2 inch) long, and is black except for the pronotum which is bright orange with two black spots. The long antennae easily separate it from the rednecked cane borer.

II. Biology: Raspberry cane borer is distributed from Kansas eastward, and has been reported as being very destructive in Quebec. It infests the young shoots of raspberry, blackberry and sometimes rose. Adults appear in June, and are present until late August. After ovipositing, the female girdles 6 mm above and 6 mm below the egg puncture. Shoot tips wilt in early summer. Some accounts of the life history maintain that larvae spend the winter not far from the point of girdling; in other accounts, larvae reach the base of the cane by fall. In the spring, tunneling continues, and a second winter is spent at or near the soil surface. In the following spring larvae reach a length of 2 cm. After the pupal stage, adults appear in June.

IV. Control: Chemical control: Just before blossoms open, either malathion 8EC (2 pt/A) or azinphosmethyl 50W (0.5 lb/A) may be applied.  Azinphosmethyl uses on caneberries are scheduled for elimination at the end of the 2005 season. 

Cultural control: Wilting canes or those with girdling should be destroyed. If pruning occurs within a few days of the onset of wilting, only a small amount of additional shoot need be removed.

See factsheet from Kentucky.