Corcyra cephalonica Stainton, 1865

Fornazier, M. J., Martins, D. S., Fanton, C. J. & Benassi, V. L. R. M., 2019, INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT IN CONILON COFFEE, Conilon coffee - The Coffea canephora produced in Brazil, Vitória, ES, Brasil: Incaper - Capixaba Institute for Research, Technical Assistance and Rural Extension, pp. 493-533 : 2037-2038

Corcyra cephalonica Stainton, 1865 ( Lepidoptera : Pyralidae )

Description and Biology

Among the moths that can be found attacking stored coffee, the main one is C. cephalonica . The adult is a moth with about 19 mm of wingspan and 9 mm of length, the body and the back gray wings. They have a nocturnal habit and are not adept at flying. Each female can lay about 180 whitish, elliptical eggs that are laid scattered or in groups on the coffee or on the warehouses walls. The caterpillars are white-dirty, cylindrical and have head, thoracic shield and last abdominal brown segment. They reach 12 mm in length when fully developed ( Figure 18 ). The cycle ranges from 45 to 50 days. During the afternoon, it is possible to observe moths flying between the stacks in the warehouses.

Losses

The sacks are all pierced when the infestation is severe, and its renewal is necessary. The presence of caterpillars, cocoons, and feces on coffee and sacks and harms the quality of the product for export ( Figure 19 ).

Method of control

A number of measures should be taken to avoid the presence of insects or insect remains in the stored product. It ranges from the awareness of those involved in the production chain to the importance of the presence of insects in the products considering the international sanitary barriers for export until the adoption of prophylactic measures for the pests control.

The management of pests in coffee storage begins with the correct management of the coffee berry borer and the coffee bean weevil in the production process and in the harvest, adopting measures to effectively reduce their populations.The observation of the humidity and the appropriate conditions recommended for the coffee grains storage disfavor the population development of the insects. It is also necessary to observe the variations of the grains humidity and take the necessary measures so that they can remain around 11%.

Preventive measures such as the storage hygiene of the unit should be observed by cleaning and disinfestation of the barns and warehouses in necessary advance, before the harvesting process is started.

The correct identification of the pest insects is a fundamental factor to know the reasons and the origin of the infestations, which allows to take preventive measures to avoid the infestations continuation.

The periodic inspection of the warehouses should be carried out, especially in the hot and humid regions and from October to April, when the best conditions for the population of stored coffee pests development are established. If infestations are detected, prophylactic measures should be taken, such as the removal of the grain mass and its protection with recommended insecticides. Storage unit disinfestation should also be performed using water mist.

Figures

Figure 18. C. cephalonica caterpillar.

Figure 19. Damage caused by C. cephalonica.