Coffee berry borer

Definition

A minute scolytine beetle (Hypothenemus hampei, family Curculionidae: Scolytinae) and the most destructive pest of commercial coffee worldwide. Adult females bore into ripening coffee cherries and excavate galleries in the seed (coffee "bean"), where they lay eggs; larvae feed on the endosperm, reducing yield and quality. Native to Africa, the species has spread to all major coffee-growing regions. Infestation is difficult to detect externally and can exceed 50% crop loss without management.

Etymology

From the host plant (coffee, Coffea spp.) and the beetle's habit of boring into the fruit (berry); the specific epithet hampei honors German entomologist Ferdinand Hampe.

Example

In Colombia, integrated pest management for Hypothenemus hampei combines mass trapping with alcohol-methanol lures, fungal biocontrol using Beauveria bassiana, and cultural practices such as harvesting all cherries—even unripe ones—to deny the beetle breeding sites.

Synonyms

• Hypothenemus hampei
• coffee borer beetle
• broca del café

Related Terms

• scolytine
• Curculionidae
• Integrated Pest Management
• bark beetle
• endosperm
• biocontrol
• coffee rust

Usage Notes

The common name is sometimes shortened to "coffee borer," which can cause confusion with other coffee pests. The Spanish broca del café is widely used in Latin American coffee research. Taxonomically placed in Curculionidae following modern molecular phylogenetics; older literature often listed Scolytidae as a separate family. Females are alate and disperse; males are flightless and rarely leave the natal berry.