It is a common cane-boring insect pest of raspberry in northern Utah. Raspberry crown borer larvae. Learn more: Notes on raspberry diseases: Crown borer. It is a common cane-boring insect pest of raspberry in northern Utah. The adult is active during the day. However, yellowjacket wasps have few hairs and no scales, while the adult raspberry crown borer has noticeable scales on the body and wings. Wasp or hornet caught in same pheromone trap as above. Raspberry crown borer larvae close-up . As one can see from the the first photo below, the wilt of the affected raspberry plant is quite sudden. The adult is a clear-winged moth with a yellow and black striped body that looks like a yellow jacket. Other Common Names . Pennisetia marginata. While raspberry crown borer, Pennisetia marginata, is not an unusual pest in local blackberries, this is the first time we've found it in raspberry on the Central Coast for a while. Crown borer larvae are white with a light brown head. No scales either. When they hatch into larvae, they burrow down through the cane and overwinter in the plant’s crown. Raspberry cane borers are beetles that live their entire life cycle on cane plants. Bembecia marginatum * phylogenetic sequence #078750. The raspberry crown borer (Pennisetia marginata) is a stout-bodied clear-winged moth that resembles a yellow jacket wasp. Raspberry crown borer adult in pheromone trap. Also of note is the lengthy antenna typical of moths. We have visited the family before in the form of the squash borer moth and the eupatorium borer moth. Sphecia marginatum. Raspberry Cane Borer Info. Synonyms and other taxonomic changes . The raspberry crown borer is a clearwing moth. Pennisetia marginatum (Harris, 1839) Trochilium marginatum Harris, 1839. The raspberry crown borer adult is a clearwing moth that resembles a medium-sized yellowjacket in coloration and size. It measures approximately 25 mm in length and has a wingspan of about 30 mm. Species marginata (Raspberry Crown Borer - Hodges#2513) Hodges Number . Pest description and crop damage The larvae of this insect bores into and damages the lower canes and crowns of most commercial caneberry species, as well as wild Rubus species like thimbleberry and salmonberry. The Raspberry crown borer/Blackberry clearwing borer (Pennisetia marginata) is a moth in the Clear-winged moth family Sesiidae (not to be confused with the chunky Hummingbird clear-winged moths, which are in the Sphinx moth bunch). 2513. The adult has a black body with yellow bands, similar to yellowjackets. Blackberry Clearwing Borer. Note short, club-like antenna, and slender transition from thorax to abdomen. They are laid as eggs just below the tip of the plant. Look at the chunky body structure and scales. This is a day flying moth that is active in late summer and early fall.