Xylosandrus morigerus (Blandford)

Bustillo, Alex, 2015, Part II. Pests, Compendium of Coffee Diseases and Pests, United States of America: The American Phytopathological Society, pp. 45-60 : 57

Xylosandrus morigerus (Blandford) ( Coleoptera : Curculionidae )

is in every area of the world where coffee is grown. The femaleis brown and less than 2 mm long. She bores a hole about 1 mmin diameter,usually on the underside of a twig, and in the Idle of the twig, she hollows out a chamber into which the pre deposited in irregular heaps. It takes about 1-3 days to boreinto the twig and about 4-6 days to construct the chamber. After10 days, eggs are observed. Larvae emerge 8 days later; theyare white, legless, and vermiform and feed on a layer of mycelia of the ambrosia fungus, which the adult carries on its ybod when boring the hole in the twig.

The larval stage lasts about 10 days. The larva then pupates 10 days later a light brown adult emerges. The average numberof eggs is 60. They mate in or very close to the nest. The maleis wingless and never leaves the host in which it is bred. Egg laying and enlargement of the nest continue for some days, the nest may contain up to 80 offspring in various stages of development. The sex ratio is close to 14 females per male.

Damage

The brown twig borer is capable of perforating the coffee twigs and killing them. However, the main damage is caused by the associated ambrosia fungus in the tissues around the tunnels. In slender twigs, this fungus may rapidly spread over the circumference of the twig, which finally breaks off.

Population Management

The most effective way to manage this twig borer is through cultural control by cutting off and burning infested shoots.