Journal Rank: Q4 (Insect Science)
The population dynamics of the Coffee Berry Borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei was studied under different climatic and altitudinal conditions, in five Coffea arabica plots, with a density of 5,000 trees in an altitudinal gradient, where meteorological stations were installed. In each plot, 30 trees were randomly selected, and the levels of infestation, dispersion and population density were evaluated every month for 3 years. The results showed an increase of 23.9 %, 20.2 % and 5.9 % of CBB infestation at 1,132 m during an El Niño, Neutral and La Niña period respectively, in contrast to 5.3 %, 2.1 % and 2.5 % infestation at 1,822 m. The average number of CBB individuals per tree during an El Niño period was 1,850, compared to 1,376 and 629 individuals during a Neutral and La Niña period. The temperature showed an increase of 2,5°C above the historical average due to the effects of the El Niño phenomenon. CBB dispersal showed a positive and negative exponential relationship with temperature and altitude, with a cumulative total of 2´815,332 individuals caught in traps during the El Niño period, compared to 1´650,897 and 173,814 in a Neutral and La Niña period, respectively. There was a natural epizootic of the Beauveria bassiana fungus that caused mortalities between 85 % and 95 % in the CBB populations. Altitudinal transects in the same hydrographic basin serve to understand the interactions between pests, the climate, and their natural enemies, which allow generating early warnings to develop control strategies.
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