How Old are Colonizing Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) Females When They Leave the Native Coffee Fruit?

Abstract

The age of colonizing Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) females when they leave the native coffee fruit was determined under laboratory conditions. This biological parameter might be useful for planning experiments with this species because certain physiological statuses are expressed from or until a determined age, which in turn may determine the response of individuals to different treatments. An experimental device was used to simulate the conditions inside a coffee berry and to permit the observation of the abandonment behavior of the beetles. Virgin and mated females with or without melanized cuticles were used in the experiments. On average, colonizing coffee berry borers were 15-days-old at the moment of host abandonment. Females at this age were mated, had full dark cuticles, and were able to display flight and lay viable eggs. Interestingly, H. hampei females that mated before they acquire a fully dark cuticle abandoned the host 1.7 times faster than females that mated after they reach this physiological status. Further studies into food conditions and their impacts on the pre- abandonment of H. hampei females are encouraged.