HomeBlueberriesBlueberries: Leaves are physically damaged (e.g. chewed, holes, etc.)

Blueberries: Leaves are physically damaged (e.g. chewed, holes, etc.)

Potential causes:

Japanese Beetle

Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica) adults feed on blueberry leaves:

Japanese beetle on leaf. Beetle has shiny bronze wings with white stripy area between wings and abdomen. Thorax and head are dark shiny green. Short antenna end in small black structure resembling palm frond.
Adult Japanese beetle.

 

Blueberry plant with orange, dead leaves covered in small lacy holes.
Feeding damage on leaves.

Feeding damage on leaves:

Close-up blueberry leaf. Half of leaf is healthy and green. Half of leaf has orange dead tissue riddled with little round holes.
Feeding damage on leaves.

Adults may also feed on the skin of berries.

Blueberry cluster. Blueberry skin is shriveled and riddled with little holes. One Japanese beetle perches on a blueberry. Two beetles below cluster are mating on leaf riddled with holes.
Japanese beetle damage to blueberry fruit.

More Japanese beetle information.

Gypsy Moth

Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) larva  may be an occasional pest on blueberry leaves when outbreaks of the insect occur. Young larvae are carried by wind from adjoining wooded areas to plantings during bloom.

Hand holding one gypsy moth larva. Larva is caterpillar. Larva is black with yellow fuzz.
Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) larva

Larger view of gypsy moth larva

They are voracious eaters and often leave only the veins remaining after feeding.
Berry cluster and blueberry branch decimated by gypsy moth feeding. There are no leaves present on branch, only stems.

Larger view of gypsy moth damage to leaves

 Hail

Hail may seriously damage canes, leaves, and fruit. Hail damaged leaves have large holes and/or appear shredded and torn.

Blueberry bush with many small and medium holes torn through leaves. Holes have no discernible pattern but most external leaves have greatest amount of damage.

See also Miscellaneous Fruit Damage (Michigan State University) for pictures of hail damage to fruit.