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Scouting Citrus for Pests - Page 6
 Bugs to Scout for in Fresh Fruit
Citrus Rust Mite
Phyllocoptuta
oleivora
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Still the principal arthropod pest of Florida citrus
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Most pesticide directed against
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Rarely reaches economic pest status in process fruit
A measure of the economic impact of a pest is the sum of yield losses and control costs. By that criterion, the worst pest of Florida citrus is still the citrus rust mite (Phyllocoptruta oleivora) aided by the related pink rust mite (Aculops pelekassi). Even though very high populations can compromise yield and quality of process fruit, rust mites are largely fresh fruit pests. That is because lower populations are able to cause blemishes which can knock fruit out of grade. These blemishes are caused by feeding of the tiny mites on the epidermis (top layer) of the peel. Cells killed by this feeding are replaced with corky tissue that expands with growth of the fruit. Therefore, old damage is rough to the touch while new damage is smooth
and even shiny. Rust mites reproduce rapidly and population densities may double in less than 2 weeks. Therefore, it is important to scout frequently, particularly in fresh fruit blocks.
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