Apple seed chalcid

Crops Affected:
apples

Damage

Attacks apple. After overwintering as a larva in the seed, the adult emerges in early summer and the female pierces the flesh of the developing fruit with her ovipositor to deposit an egg directly into a seed. The puncture is visible as a small black dot on the surface of light-skinned fruits, surrounded by a depression. The developing grub feeds in the seed cavity and causes fruit distortion (C). A brown strand of hard, dry tissue extends in to the core, sometimes resembling an apple maggot trail.

Management

Seldom an economic pest in properly managed orchards. Dropped fruit can be collected and discarded in the fall to prevent populations from increasing, and elimination of outside sources of infestation such as wild seedling and crab apples near the orchard is recommended.