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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Hilo, Hawaii » Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center » Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #340682
Research Project: Detection, Control and Area-wide Management of Fruit Flies and Other Quarantine Pests of Tropical/Subtropical Crops

Location: Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research

Title: An introduction to the square-necked grain beetle as a predator of coffee berry borer in Hawai'i

Author
item KAWABATA, ANDREA - University Of Hawaii
item Follett, Peter
item WRIGHT, M - University Of Hawaii
item BRILL, E - University Of Hawaii
item CURTISS, R - Hawaii Department Of Agriculture

Submitted to: University of Hawaii Cooperative Extension Bulletin
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/2016
Publication Date: 11/1/2016
Citation: Kawabata, A., Follett, P.A., Wright, M., Brill, E., Curtiss, R. 2016. An introduction to the square-necked grain beetle as a predator of coffee berry borer in Hawai'i. University of Hawaii Cooperative Extension Bulletin. Insect Pests Series 40.

Interpretive Summary: The square-necked grain beetle, Cathartus quadricollis, is a predator of coffee berry borer in Hawai'i coffee. This predator is a minor stored product pest and can be reared in large numbers at low cost on cracked corn for augmentative biological control. Hawai'i coffee farmers are releasing home-grown square-necked grain beetles in large numbers. Cathartus quadricollis is not susceptible to Beauveria bassiana, a fungal biopesticide used for coffee berry borer control, so it fits well with current IPM programs.

Technical Abstract: Biological control can be an important component of integrated pest management programs. Coffee berry borer is a new pest of Hawaii coffee that arrived with no apparent natural enemies. The square-necked grain beetle, Cathartus quadricollis, has been present in Hawaii for many years and has become one of the main predators of coffee berry borer in Hawai'i coffee. This predator is a minor stored product pest and can be reared in large numbers at low cost on cracked corn for augmentative biological control. Hawai'i coffee farmers are releasing home-grown square-necked grain beetles in large numbers. Cathartus quadricollis is not susceptible to Beauveria bassiana, a fungal biopesticide used for coffee berry borer control, so it fits well with current IPM programs. Further research is needed to understand the impact of this predator on coffee berry borer.