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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 #354854
Research Project: Develop Pest Management Technologies and Strategies to Control the Coffee Berry Borer

Location: Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory

Title: Observing the devastating coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) inside the coffee berry using micro-computerized tomography

Author
item ALBA-ALEJANDRE, IGNACIO - UNIVERSIDAD DE GRANADA
item ALBA-TERCEDOR, JAVIER - UNIVERSIDAD DE GRANADA
item Vega, Fernando

Submitted to: Scientific Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/5/2018
Publication Date: 11/19/2018
Citation: Alba-Alejandre, I., Alba-Tercedor, J., Vega, F.E. 2018. Observing the devastating coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) inside the coffee berry using micro-computerized tomography. Scientific Reports. 8:17033.

Interpretive Summary: The coffee berry borer is the most economically important insect pest of coffee worldwide. Increased knowledge on the basic biology the coffee berry borer can result in new insights on how to reduce damage caused by the insect. We report on the use of an x-ray imaging technique known as micro-computerized tomography to observe the coffee berry borer inside coffee berries. This information will be of use to coffee scientists, entomologists, and the coffee industry.

Technical Abstract: The coffee berry borer is the most devastating insect pest of coffee throughout the world. The insect spends most of its life cycle inside the coffee berry, which makes it quite difficult to observe its behavior. Micro-computerized tomography (micro-CT) scans were used to observe all developmental stages of the coffee berry borer inside coffee berries (Coffea canephora). An interesting oviposition pattern involving a sequential placement of eggs starting in the periphery of the seed and moving inwards was observed. Micro-CT scans should be useful in elucidating unknown behavioral aspects of other seed-feeding bark beetles as well as bark and ambrosia beetles in general.