Campylomma bug
Campylomma verbasci
1 host plant
Last updated
Campylomma bugs cause small, dimpled scars on developing apple and pear fruit in spring, creating cosmetic blemishes that look like tiny raised bumps surrounded by a shallow depression. You will notice the damage on fruitlets shortly after petal fall. These small, pale green plant bugs are beneficial predators of mites and aphids for most of the season, making them a management contradiction in orchard settings.
Tolerate minor fruit scarring in home orchards, as these bugs provide valuable predatory services against mites and aphids through the rest of the season. Thinning damaged fruitlets improves remaining fruit quality. Chemical control is rarely justified for homeowners because eliminating campylomma removes a key biological control agent.
Quick Reference
Campylomma bug is not native to the US, but has been present since the late 1800s. Adults are brownish-yellow and about 0.1 inch in length, very mobile and active. Nymphs are small, green, and fast moving and about 0.1 inch in length when mature. Mature nymphs resemble aphids in some ways but are far more active. Feeding by nymphs causes dimpling and distortion of fruit.
Cultural Controls
- -cultural control Early-blooming apple varieties may be most affected.
- Damaged fruit can be thinned.
- Management-