Arthropod contamination of red raspberry (Rubus idaeusL.) harvested by machine in Scotland

SummarySamples of fruit from machine harvested red raspberry were examined for insect contaminants. Earwigs (Dermaptera: Forficulidae), aphids (Homoptera: Aphidae), and spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) were the most common contaminants. Earwigs were approximately twice as numerous in a single nocturnal sample than in equivalent daytime samples. Application of the short harvest interval synthetic pyrethroid insecticide, deltamethrin, close to harvest decreased the overall number of arthropod contaminants, but did not significantly decrease the numbers of earwigs or spiders. The role of earwigs, spiders and other arthropod fruit contaminants in the red raspberry crop, and engineering improvements to raspberry harvesters to reduce the level of contamination are discussed.