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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #333543
Research Project: Develop Pest Management Technologies and Strategies to Control the Coffee Berry Borer

Location: Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory

Title: Mouthpart structure and elemental composition of the mandibles in the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae)

Author
item Vega, Fernando
item Bauchan, Gary
item INFANTE, FRANCISCO - Ecosur
item DAVIS, STEVE - American Museum Of Natural History

Submitted to: Annals of the Entomological Society of America
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/24/2017
Publication Date: 7/1/2017
Citation: Vega, F.E., Bauchan, G.R., Infante, F., Davis, S. 2017. Mouthpart structure and elemental composition of the mandibles in the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 110:381-389.

Interpretive Summary: The coffee berry borer is the most devastating pest of coffee throughout the world and causes millions of dollars in losses each year. Increased knowledge on the basic biology of the coffee berry borer can result in new insights on how to reduce damage caused by the insect this insect, thereby increasing yields. In this paper we report on the different structures of the mouthpart as well as on the elemental composition of the mandibles, responsible for providing hardness and abrasion resistance necessary to feed on the coffee seeds inside the berry. This information will be of use to coffee scientists, entomologists, ecologists, and the coffee industry.

Technical Abstract: The various parts of the mouth in the coffee berry have been identified using scanning electron microscopy. The labial and maxillary palpi are three jointed and connected by a membrane that allows for telescoping. The maxillary palpi contain two types of sensilla (basiconic and campaniform) within an apical cuticular depression in the third segment of the palpus. The sides of the third segment of the maxillary palpus exhibits rod shaped depressions, known as sensilla digitiformia. Several cuticular elements were detected in the mandibles, including C, Ca, Cl, Mg, O, P, and Zn. Zinc was only detected in the incisors.