Yellow-spotted buprestid

Systematic position: The yellow-spotted buprestid (Ptosima flavoguttata) belongs to the order Coleoptera and the family Buprestidae. This beetle is known as a wood-boring insect that affects various trees in warm climatic regions.

Host plants: This pest primarily targets stone fruit trees such as apricots, peaches, plums, and cherries. It often colonizes stressed or weakened trees that are suffering from environmental factors or poor horticultural management.

Biology and life cycle: Adult beetles emerge during the warm months to feed on foliage and young shoots. Females deposit eggs into the bark crevices. Once hatched, the larvae bore into the sapwood and inner bark, where they continue to feed and grow for the remainder of their developmental stage.

Damage and impact: Larvae create winding galleries under the bark, which effectively girdle the tree by disrupting the nutrient and water flow. Visible signs of infestation include severe gumming, localized wilting, and branch dieback, which can lead to the death of the entire tree if the infestation is heavy.

• Implement rigorous sanitation by pruning and destroying infested wood.
• Apply white latex paint or lime wash to tree trunks to deter egg-laying females.
• Utilize systemic insecticides during the peak activity period of adult beetles.
• Maintain orchard health through proper irrigation and fertilization to discourage pest colonization.