Population density and sampling area of the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari), using semiochemicals-based traps

Author(s)

Fernando Zanotti Madalon

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Piracicaba.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC)
• Defense date: 2024-01-29

Examining board members

Jose Mauricio Simoes Bento; Oliveiro Guerreiro Filho; José Roberto Postali Parra; Dirceu Pratissoli

• Advisor: Jose Mauricio Simoes Bento

Abstract

Traps baited with alcohol have long been used to monitor the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari), a highly destructive coffee pest. However, no study has been dedicated to measure the effective sampling area of these traps and translating trap data into absolute population density on coffee farms. Additionally, there is a lack of computational models representing the spatiotemporal dynamics of this pest. We addressed these issues through single-trap and multiple-release experiments in Arabica coffee cultivation. Based on the results of this stage, we correlated the number of captures per sampled area, which allowed us to simulate different control timing scenarios. Coffee berry borers marked with fluorescent powder were released at varying distances in the four cardinal directions from a central monitoring trap baited with methanol and ethanol (1:1 ratio). Only 2.6% of the released insects were recaptured, and recaptures significantly decreased with increasing release distances. Recapture analyses revealed that the pest moves randomly in the field, dispersing up to a maximum of 22.2 meters. Despite the traps short plume (1.3 meters), the calculated sampling area for the trap was 0.17 hectares, with a capture probability of 0.01. Therefore, capturing 100 coffee borers in a single trap per hectare during the early coffee bean filling stage reflects a population of 20.2 million borers per hectare at harvest, resulting in a projected loss of 60.3 kilograms per hectare. Our simulations with the computational model successfully predicted pest outbreaks based on trap monitoring, showing that control during the post-flowering stage and immediately before maturation are the most effective in maintaining the pest population at lower infestation levels. These findings shed light on improving the use of semiochemical traps and interpreting capture data for integrated coffee berry borer management. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 19/20179-1 - Selection of semiochemical trap model, improvement of attractants, and determination of threshold level for the management of the Coffee Berry Borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari)
• Grantee: Fernando Zanotti Madalon
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate