Sterility of the coffee berry borer,Hypothenemus hampei (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), caused by the nematode Metaparasitylenchus hypothenemi (Tylenchidae: Allantonematidae) |
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Authors: | Alfredo Castillo Félix Martínez Jaime Gómez Juan Cisneros Fernando E. Vega |
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Affiliation: | 1. Ecología de Artrópodos y Manejo de Plagas, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Tapachula México;2. Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD, USA |
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Abstract: | Metaparasitylenchus hypothenemi is an endoparasitic nematode that causes partial or total sterility of coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) females, although the causes are unknown. Fecundity and the average size of the common and lateral oviduct, vitellarium, and germarium in the four ovarioles (I, II, III and IV) were compared between parasitised and non-parasitised insects to determine the causes of sterility. The nematode significantly lowers the number of oocytes and 86% of parasitised insects (24 out of 28 insects) were sterile, while fecundity in the remaining 13% was non-significantly different to that in non-parasitised insects. No significant differences were recorded in the size of the common oviduct, lateral oviduct, vitellarium, and germarium between parasitised and non-parasitised insects and the nematode does not cause any apparent damage on the surface of the ovary. |
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Keywords: | Endoparasite potential fecundity realised fecundity egg fertility oocytes |
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