Preference of hypothenemus hampei for coffee fruits according to state of maturation and infestation

Journal Rank: Q3 (Insect Science)

The coffee berry borer Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) remains the most important coffee pest worldwide. Coffee fruits emit a mixture of volatiles, which function as insect attractants. Y-tube olfactometry tests allowed us to determine insect response to coffee fruits in different developmental stages: green, underripe, mature-ripe and overripe. The ripe fruits showed the highest levels of insect attraction, up to 30% more than the other stages. Additionally, insect attraction to fruits previously infested with H. hampei for 3 and 24h  vs noninfested fruits was tested. The infested and noninfested ripe fruits showed the same levels of attraction. The overripe and green fruits infested for 3h showed 12% greater insect attraction. The green fruits infested for 24h showed 20% more attraction. When evaluating insect attraction to the methanol:ethanol alcohol mixture vs. the fruits, the alcohols showed greater insect attraction than all developmental stages except the ripe fruits. The understanding of H. hampei behavioral characteristics and preferences for coffee fruits in different developmental and infestation stages will allow the design of better insect control strategies.