"Common Arthropod Pests of Blackberries and Pomegranates in Florida- A survey" Chastity Perry and Sriyanka Lahiri Blackberry and pomegranate production are important alternative crops for growers in Florida currently. However, a pest survey is needed to understand the diversity of arthropod pest species occurring in these new perennial cropping systems. To improve the understanding of the pest species, weekly monitoring of blackberry and pomegranate orchards at the UF/GCREC campus is being conducted since July 2020. Yellow sticky trapping and visual sampling of foliage, flowers, and fruits will continue for a year to improve the understanding of monthly pest pressure as well as natural enemy diversity. Results of this preliminary survey documented multiple arthropod species in blackberries, such as southern citrus root weevil, armyworms, soft scales, twospotted spider mite, leaffooted bug, and red-shouldered stink bug. Insect predators and parasitoid activity was also documented. This information will assist in development of an integrated pest management strategy to support the production of these alternative fruit crops in Florida.
