Aims The effect of insect exclusion via netting on bacterial microbiota associated with field-grown tomato fruit and flowers was evaluated. Methods and Results Amplicon-based bacterial community profiling from insect-exposed plants and plants wrapped in nylon mosquito netting was conducted on total DNA extracted from tomato flower and mature unripe fruit washes. The V1-V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced using Illumina MiSeq and analysed using qiime ver. 1.8. The carposphere supported significantly more phylogenetic diversity (PD) compared to the anthosphere, as measured by operational taxonomic unit richness (P = 0 center dot 001) and Faith's PD (P = 0 center dot 004). Flowers and fruit hosted distinct bacterial community structures (R-2 = 0 center dot 27, P = 0 center dot 001), with specific taxonomic differences in taxa that included the Xanthomonadaceae (higher in flowers), and the Pseudomonadaceae, Methylobacteriaceae and Rhizobiales (higher in fruit) (FDR-P 0 center dot 05). Bacterial community profiles of netted plants were overall statistically similar to non-netted plants for both flowers and fruit (P > 0 center dot 10). However, less variation between samples was observed among flowers (similar to 50% less, P = 0 center dot 004) and green fruit (similar to 10% less, P = 0 center dot 038) collected from netted than non-netted plants. Conclusion Insects may introduce or augment variability in bacterial diversity associated with tomato flowers and potentially green fruit surfaces. Significance and Impact of the Study This work contributes to knowledge on microbiome dynamics of the tomato holobiont. Deciphering drivers of bacterial diversity and community structure of fruit crops could reveal processes important to agricultural management, such as competitive exclusion of pathogens and priming of plant defense mechanisms.