Search

The braconid Mirax insularis Muesebeck Is a koinoboint parasitoid of the coffee leafminer, Leucoptera coffeella Guérin-Méneville & Perrottet, in Puerto Rico. However, their reproductive capacity under artificial rearing conditions of the leafminer is not known. The objective of this study was to determine its reproductive potential in larvae of 1st and 2nd instar of L. coffeella. Reproductive capacity tests showed significant differences (test t-Student, P < 0.05) in the preference of M. insularis for 2nd instar larvae with 7% of parasitization, whereas in 1st instar it gained only 5%. The average oviposition of M. insularis increases three folds (14 eggs per female) in a period of 48 hours on 2nd instar when compared to 1st instar. In the analysis of variance, the treatments that showed a significant difference (Tukey test, P < 0.05) were those with densities of 60 to 80 parasitoids per experimental unit on 2nd instar. Correlation tests find that there is a correlation (R = 0.453, P = 0.547) among the progeny of M. insularis produced when using larvae of the 1st instar. However, there is a positive correlation (R = 0.981, P = 0.019) when using 2nd instar larvae. The parasitization of M. insularis is higher when performing inoculations with 60 to 80 parasitoids on 2nd instar, producing a progeny of 365 and 480 parasitoids, respectively.

To contribute to the development of new products to control the coffee leaf miner (Leucoptera coffeella), which is a major pest for coffee plants, this work aimed to select plant species able to produce substances active against this insect and to identify the active substances in the selected plant and their protein targets in the insect. Among the extracts of nineteen plant species, only that from leaves of Merremia tomentosa (Choisy) Hall. f. (Convolvulaceae) reduced the oviposition of L. coffeella on leaves of coffee plants. This extract was submitted to successive fractionation steps to achieve the isolation and identification of two active substances, ursolic acid (UA) and cis-tiliroside (CT). An in silico study showed that UA inhibits glycogen phosphorylases (GP) by binding to their allosteric site, while CT probably inhibits xanthine dehydrogenases (XT). As both GP and XT appear to be essential enzymes for insects, these results suggest that, during evolution, L. coffeella learned to identify plants producing inhibitors of these enzymes to avoid oviposition on such plants. Thus, both UA and CT have potential to be used as lead compounds in the development of new products for the control of the coffee leaf miner.

Plant diversity may increase natural enemy populations because some plants can provide alternative food to natural enemies. Extrafloral nectar is such an alternative food and plants producing extrafloral nectar are known to suffer less from herbivory. Little is known about the effect of plants with extrafloral nectaries on herbivory of neighbouring plants. Here, we investigated whether extrafloral nectaries of an associated tree (Inga subnuda subsp. luschnathiana) can enhance natural pest control in coffee agroforestry systems. We assessed the effect of nectar availability from Inga trees on parasitism of coffee leaf miners (Leucoptera coffeella) and on damage caused by coffee leaf miners and coffee berry borers (Hypothenemus hampei). Most of the nectary visitors were either parasitoids or predators, with most predators being natural enemies of coffee pests. Coffee plants were sampled every metre along a transect of 10–15 m extending from each Inga tree. The distance of the coffee plants from the Inga trees did not significantly correlate with coffee leaf miner parasitism, proportion of mined leaves or with the proportion of bored coffee berries. We subsequently used abundance and species richness of those nectary visitors without known association with leaf miners and borers as indirect measures of nectar availability. Whereas species richness had no significant effect on natural pest control, leaf miner parasitism increased significantly with the abundance of nectary visitors (excluding natural enemies of the coffee pests), and the proportion of mined leaves decreased significantly with this abundance. The proportion of bored fruits decreased with increasing abundance of visitors, but this trend was not significant. Together, these results suggest that Inga trees provide alternative food to natural enemies of coffee pests, resulting in increased natural control. Thus, extrafloral nectaries of associated trees can enhance natural pest control in agroforestry systems.

We evaluated the effects of crude extracts from the plantain Plantago lanceolata and the bitter gourd Momordica charantia on the oviposition preference and development of the coffee leaf miner Leucoptera coffeella Guérin-Mèneville & Perrottet under laboratory and/or greenhouse conditions. The ovicidal effects of these extracts were also studied in a greenhouse. Plantago lanceolata and M. charantia extracts also underwent fractionation directed by oviposition tests with the coffee leaf miner. The extracts of both plants reduced L. coffeella oviposition and egg hatching, apparently as a result of action of plant metabolites on the embryo. Adults originating from eggs treated with the extracts exhibited similar survival rates, but a higher female/male ratio. Fecundity was reduced for females obtained from eggs treated with the M. charantia extract. Partial chemical analysis indicated that both extracts produced polar fractions that reduced the oviposition of L. coffeella on coffee leaves under laboratory conditions. The extracts of P. lanceolata and M. charantia have potential for use in the development of new products to control the coffee leaf miner.

Coffee (Coffea spp.) alkaloids (caffeine and related methylxanthines) and phenolics (caffeic and chlorogenic acids) have recognized pestistatic/pesticidal activity and mediate insect-plant interactions. The present investigation assessed the resistance of 12 coffee genotypes to the leaf miner Leucoptera (= Perileucoptera) coffeella (Guerin-Meneville & Perrottet) (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae) and correlated such results with the leaf content of coffee alkaloids and phenolics that probably play a role in the interaction between coffee and this leaf miner. The levels of chlorogenic and caffeic acid, caffeine, and related methylxanthines were measured and quantified in leaf extracts of these genotypes before and 7 d after their infestation by the leaf miner. Some coffee genotypes (Coffea canephora L. and Coffea racemosa Lour. and its hybrids with Coffea arabica L.) exhibited high pesticidal activity (100% mortality) toward the L. coffeella, indicating their antibiosis resistance. However, there was no correlation between this activity and the leaf levels of coffee alkaloids and phenolics. Curiously, infestation by L. coffeella leads to a nearly four-fold decline in the leaf levels of chlorogenic acid, which does not affect this pest species but may affect other generalist species. Indeed, chlorogenic acid sprayed on coffee leaves stimulated locomotory activity of the green scale Coccus viridis (Green) (Hemiptera: Coccidae), thus minimizing their feeding in contrast with the absence of this polyphenol. Therefore, reduction of chlorogenic acid levels in coffee leaves due to leaf miner infestation seems to also favor infestation by generalist insects, such as the green scale.

Submitted by Guilherme Lemeszenski (guilherme@nead.unesp.br) on 2013-08-22T18:47:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 S0100-204X2010000200001.pdf: 1239738 bytes, checksum: 19b1dc62d5b367d2e156410a0d69b1f3 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2013-08-22T18:47:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 S0100-204X2010000200001.pdf: 1239738 bytes, checksum: 19b1dc62d5b367d2e156410a0d69b1f3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-01 Made available in DSpace on 2013-09-30T17:54:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 S0100-204X2010000200001.pdf: 1239738 bytes, checksum: 19b1dc62d5b367d2e156410a0d69b1f3 (MD5) S0100-204X2010000200001.pdf.txt: 29220 bytes, checksum: fd48ff6e11e40548b7ae22e4c79b4889 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-01 Submitted by Vitor Silverio Rodrigues (vitorsrodrigues@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2014-05-20T13:15:05Z No. of bitstreams: 2 S0100-204X2010000200001.pdf: 1239738 bytes, checksum: 19b1dc62d5b367d2e156410a0d69b1f3 (MD5) S0100-204X2010000200001.pdf.txt: 29220 bytes, checksum: fd48ff6e11e40548b7ae22e4c79b4889 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-20T13:15:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 S0100-204X2010000200001.pdf: 1239738 bytes, checksum: 19b1dc62d5b367d2e156410a0d69b1f3 (MD5) S0100-204X2010000200001.pdf.txt: 29220 bytes, checksum: fd48ff6e11e40548b7ae22e4c79b4889 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-01 O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a diversidade de Hemerobiidae (Neuroptera) em cafeeiros, e suas relações com Leucoptera coffeella, Coccus sp., Planococcus sp., Oligonychus ilicis, Brevipalpus phoenicis, Aphis spiraecola e Toxoptera aurantii. As amostragens foram realizadas em Cravinhos, SP, entre maio de 2005 e abril de 2007. Os hemerobiídeos foram coletados com rede de varredura, armadilha de Möricke e armadilhas luminosas e, para a amostragem das presas, foram coletadas folhas de cafeeiro. Foram obtidos 882 exemplares de hemerobiídeos: Nusalala tessellata (467 espécimes, 52,9% do total coletado), Hemerobius bolivari (153, 17,3%), Megalomus impudicus (114, 12,9%), Sympherobius miranda (109, 12,4%), Megalomus rafaeli (30, 3,4%), Sympherobius ariasi (6, 0,7%) e Nomerobius psychodoides (3, 0,3%). A ocorrência de Nusalala tessellata e M. impudicus foi correlacionada positivamente à de Coccus sp.; o mesmo fato ocorreu para M. rafaeli com lagartas de L. coffeella e A. spiraecola e para H. bolivari com O. ilicis. As correlações foram negativas e significativas entre as ocorrências de S. miranda e O. ilicis e entre as de N. tessellata e L. coffeella e O. ilicis. As correlações mostraram que os Hemerobiidae, predadores generalistas, foram favorecidos pelo constante suprimento de presas que ocorreram na cultura do café, no período estudado. The objective of this work was to evaluate the diversity of Hemerobiidae (Neuroptera) in coffee and its relationships with Leucoptera coffeella, Coccus sp., Planococcus sp., Oligonychus ilicis, Brevipalpus phoenicis, Aphis spiraecola and Toxoptera aurantii. The specimens were collected in Cravinhos, São Paulo state, Brazil, between May 2005 and April 2007. The hemerobiids were collected with sweeping nets, and light and Möricke traps. Coffee leaves were collected for prey sampling. A total of 882 hemerobiids were obtained: Nusalala tessellata (467 individuals, 52.9% of the hemerobiids collected), Hemerobius bolivari (153, 17.3%), Megalomus impudicus (114, 12.9%), Sympherobius miranda (109, 12.4%), Megalomus rafaeli (30, 3.4%), Sympherrobus ariasi (6, 0.7%) and Nomerobius psychodoides (3, 0.3%). Occurrence of Nusalala tessellata and M. impudicus showed significant positive correlations with Coccus sp. presence; the same fact occurred to M. rafaeli and L. coffeella larvae with A. spiraecola, and H. bolivari with O. ilicis. The correlations were negative and significant between occurrence of S. miranda and O. ilicis, and between N. tessellata and L. coffeella larvae and O. ilicis. The correlations showed that Hemerobiidae generalist predators were favored by the constant supply of preys that occurred during the study period in the coffee crop. Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias Departamento de Fitossanidade Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias Departamento de Fitossanidade

The advent of geostatistics and geographical information systems has made it possible to analyze complex spatial patterns of ecological phenomena over large areas in applied insect ecology and pest management. The objective of this study was to use geostatistics to characterize the spatial structure and map the spatial variation of damage caused by the berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) and leaf miner (Leucoptera coffeella) in a coffee agroecosystem planted with the cultivar Catuai Vermelho IAC-99. Infestations of berry borer and leaf miner were evaluated in fruits and leaves, respectively. The pests were monitored at 67 georeferenced points in an area of 6.6 ha in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Variograms estimated by the method of moments (MoM) and residual maximum likelihood REML were compared. The latter were generally better in terms of the kriging error coefficients. Spherical variograms estimated by REML for berry borer infestation in fruits had ranges of spatial dependence of 34.62–118.4 m and for the leaf miner they were 53.93–133.7 m. For models fitted by weighted ordinary least squares (OLS) to the MoM experimental variogram, the ranges varied between 37.22 and 68.67 m for the berry borer and 100 and 155.4 m for leaf miner infestation. The variogram model parameters were used with the data for ordinary kriging to map the spatial variation of coffee pests for different monitoring periods. If there was no suitable variogram, inverse distance weighting was used to map the variation. The maps enabled visualization of the intensity of infestation of the insect pests for the different periods evaluated.

The recognized importance of coffee alkaloids and phenolics mediating insect-plant interactions led to the present investigation aiming to test the hypothesis that the phenolics chlorogenic and caffeic acids and the alkaloid caffeine and some of its derivatives present in coffee leaves affect egg-laying by the coffee leaf miner Leucoptera (=Perileucoptera) coffeella (Guérin-Méneville & Perrottet) (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae), one of the main coffee pests in the Neotropical region. These phytochemicals were, therefore, quantified in leaves from 12 coffee genotypes and their effect on the egg-laying preference by the coffee leaf miner was assessed. Canonical variate analysis and partial canonical correlation provided evidence that increased leaf levels of caffeine favour egg-laying by the coffee leaf miner. An egg-laying preference bioassay was, therefore, carried out to specifically test this hypothesis using increasing caffeine concentrations sprayed on leaves of one of the coffee genotypes with the lowest level of this compound (i.e. Hybrid UFV 557-04 generated from a cross between Coffea racemosa Lour. and C. arabica L.). The results obtained allowed the recognition of a significant concentration-response relationship, providing support for the hypothesis that caffeine stimulates egg-laying by the coffee leaf miner in coffee leaves.

Recent reports of coffee genotypes resistant to one of its key pests in the Neotropical region, the leaf miner Leucoptera coffeella (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae), sparked studies trying to recognize the underlying causes of resistance. An association between increased egg laying by the leaf miner and increased caffeine levels in coffee leaves was recently recognized. However, since caffeine is not volatile, its effect on egg laying is likely aided by a volatile compound. This was the hypothesis tested here. Coffee leaf volatiles from 12 coffee genotypes were collected, analyzed (gas chromatograph coupled with a mass spectrometer (CG/MS)) and tested for electrophysiological activity (EAG). The active volatiles thus recognized were subjected to partial correlation against the density of eggs laid by the leaf miner in each coffee genotype. The volatile showing significant positive correlation, p-cymene, was subjected to an attraction test in a four-arm olfactometer confirming its biological activity and providing evidence of its role stimulating egg laying by the coffee leaf miner.

The natural mortality of the coffee leafminer, Leucoptera coffeella (Guerin-Meneville) was investigated in three strata of coffee plant canopy for three seasons through construction and analysis of ecological life tables. Mortality of the leafminer was similar on all thirds of the canopy. Total mortality of immature stages was 95%, with 38.5, 43.8 and 12.7% occurring during egg, larval, and pupal stages. Rainfall killed 39.3% of eggs and larvae, and together with egg inviability (16.3%) and Vespidae (11.3%), were the highest mortality factors. Six wasp parasitoids caused 8% of larval mortality. Egg and larva were the critical stages. Variation in mortality was primarily associated with egg inviability, rainfall, and parasitism by Horismenus sp. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Physiological disturbances during molting and metamorphosis also contributed for fluctuations in mortality of the leafminer. Tactics of integrated pest management to enhance natural mortality of the leafminer while conserving or ...

Genetically-modified coffee clones (GMCs) were presented in a previous work. They were created from a single commercial clone of Coffea canephora Pierre (clone 126). Therefore they all have the same genotype, except for the localization of the transgenic insertions. They synthesize the Bacillus thuringiensis endotoxin Cry1Ac against Leucoptera coffeella Gue´- rin-Me´neville, a secondary pest of C. canephora and one of the main pest of C. arabica in South America. The synthetic Cry1Ac gene is regulated by the EF1a- A1 promoter of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. They were tested in an experimental field for their resistance against the pest insect in a previous work. In the present work, levels of Cry1Ac were measured in the leaves. The insecticidal protein was evenly distributed in all the leaves. Cry1Ac levels were measured once in the coffee plants of a sensitive GMC and of 14 resistant ones grown in the experimental field and in plants grown in a greenhouse. Some resistant GMCs contained higher levels but it is not possible to confirm that it would be enough for a sustainable resistance to the pest. Growth speed was variable in the plot. The correlation with plant height and other indicators of plant growth was examined. Cry1Ac levels in the GMCs were negatively correlated with growth speed. The latter was not statistically influenced neither by Cry1Ac synthesis nor by the genetic modification in itself as seen by comparing the GMCs and the unmodified control clone 126. Hence the conclusion is that the growth conferred to field-grown plants by environmental factors and especially the soil was probably the underlying cause of the negative correlation. Other field experiments would be necessary in order to confirm this result. It would be important that the genetic construct inserted in these GMCs and mainly the EF1a-A1 promoter of the Cry1Ac gene be reconsidered since Cry1Ac levels might be too low to provide efficient and sustainable protection against L. coffeella in a highly favourable environment for coffee plants. Alternatives are discussed.

The objective of this study was to determine the damage levels caused by Orthezia praelonga Douglas, 1891 and Leucoptera coffeella (Guérin-Mèneville 1842), on rangpur lime and Obatã coffee leaves, respectively. Measurements were based on a new concept for the evaluation of the following plant physiological parameters: photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, leaf temperature and transpiration, and internal concentration of CO2 (by infrared analyzer). A negative correlation between infestation level and photosynthesis was found, where the negative inflexion point of the curve was considered as a reference for damage levels. The control level for O. praelonga is below the 7-13% limit for damaged leaf area (40 to 70 scales per leaf), while for L. coffeella it is below the 26-36% limit for the same variable. Photosynthesis provided the best correlation for this type of analysis.O objetivo deste trabalho foi estabelecer, baseado em um novo conceito de avaliação de parâmetros fisiológicos vegetais, o nível de dano causado por Orthezia praelonga Douglas 1891 e por Leucoptera coffeella (Guérin-Mèneville 1842) em folhas de limão cravo e cafeeiro 'Obatã', respectivamente. Foram feitas leituras de trocas gasosas por infravermelho, além da avaliação da condutância estomática, temperatura foliar, transpiração foliar e concentração interna de CO2. Os dados demonstraram uma correlação negativa entre o nível de infestação e a fotossíntese, sendo o ponto de inflexão negativa da curva tomado como referência de nível de dano, onde o nível de controle para O. praelonga encontra-se abaixo do limite de 7 a 13% de área foliar lesionada (40 a 70 cochonilhas por folha), e o de L. coffeella encontra-se abaixo dos valores de 26 a 36% de área foliar lesionada. Dentre os parâmetros avaliados a fotossíntese foi o que demonstrou melhor correlação para este tipo de análise.

We examined the role of phenolic compounds, and the enzymes peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase, in the expression of resistance of coffee plants to Leucoptera coffeella (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae). The concentrations of total soluble phenols and chlorogenic acid (5-caffeoylquinic acid), and the activities of the oxidative enzymes peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO), were estimated in leaves of Coffea arabica, C. racemosa, and progenies of crosses between these species, which have different levels of resistance, before and after attack by this insect. The results indicate that phenols do not play a central role in resistance to the coffee leaf miner. Differences were detected between the parental species in terms of total soluble phenol concentrations and activities of the oxidative enzymes. However, resistant and susceptible hybrid plants did not differ in any of these characteristics. Significant induction of chlorogenic acid and PPO was only found in C. racemosa, the parental donator of the resistance genes against L. coffeella. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis also showed qualitative similarity between hybrids and the susceptible C. arabica. These results suggest that the phenolic content and activities of POD and PPO in response to the attack by the leaf miner may not be a strong evidence of their participation in direct defensive mechanisms.

Coffea arabica, one of the most important breeding species in the world, is susceptible to the leaf miner Leucoptera coffeella, which causes severe damage to coffee plantations. A closely related coffee species (Coffea racemosa) resistant to this insect was crossed with C. arabica and resulted in segregating progenies with resistance or susceptibility to coffee leaf miner. The aim of this work was to isolate and characterize the genes involved in coffee resistance to this pest. Subtracted cDNA libraries enriched in genes preferentially expressed in coffee plants resistant to L. coffeella were constructed. Approximately 1500 clones were spotted on nylon membranes and hybridized to cDNA probes derived from RNA samples from infestation experiments. Several genes were differentially expressed. We selected expressed ESTs with the most interesting expression profiles and confirmed the up-regulation of five of them (Class III Chitinase PR-8, signal peptidase complex subunit SPC25, photosystem gene psaH, a putative calcium exchanger similar to CAX9 and a homeotic gene BEL) by RNA blot. The possible functions of these genes in coffee resistance and coffee development, and a hypothetical defense mechanism against L. coffeela are discussed.

1 Despite the importance of Leucoptera coffeella (Guerin-Meneville) in coffee production worldwide, there is a lack of information on its reproduction. This knowledge will help in mass rearing, and support the development of behavioural control techniques for this insect. The present study determined the effects of delayed mating and previous matings of male L. coffeella on fecundity, egg viability and frequency of female remating. 2 The highest levels of fecundity and egg viability were obtained from matings of 1–3-day-old females. When females mated at 5 days of age, there were reductions of 40% in oviposition and of 43% in egg viability. 3 Females mated with 2-day-old virgin males were more fecund than those mated with older males; egg viability was also low (18%) from females mated with older males. 4 Virgin females that mated with virgin males laid a greater number of eggs than those mated with previously copulated males. Egg viability decreased with the increase in the number of previous male matings. 5 Five-day-old females remated in greater proportion than 2–3-day-old females. Females that copulated with males that had previously mated three times had higher rates of remating than those that copulated with virgin males. 6 The results obtained indicate that 1–3 days after emergence is the optimum age for mating. The implications of these findings for the control of L. coffeella by synthetic sex pheromone are discussed.

The coffee leaf miner (Perileucoptera coffeella, Guerin-Meneville), is the most serious pest on coffee in Brazil. Coffee varieties with resistance to this pest have been developed in Brazil using genes from the Coffea racemosa Lour. species. Resistance to P. coffeella was studied in C. racemosa and in advanced breeding populations derived from BC3 and BC4 generations through artificial infestation of coffee leaves (laboratory) and natural infestation (greenhouse). Based on an analysis of variance carried out with notes attributed to lesions, two weeks after egg hatching, C. racemosa plants and BC4 progenies were classified in 3 groups according to their degree of resistance to the insect. The age of the leaves seemed to play a role in the expression of resistance of C. racemosa and of BC4 progenies to P. coffeella. The data seemed to show that resistance to P. coffeella derived from C. racemosa can be best explained by two complementary dominant genes. Segregations for resistance assessed in families obtained by selfing or open pollination or by back-crossing with a susceptible variety were similar to the expected segregation of 9 resistant: 7 susceptible or 1 resistant: 3 susceptible, respectively. The symbols Lm1, lm1, Lm2 and lm2 are proposed for the alleles. Consequences for breeding coffee varieties with resistance are discussed.

Binding of several Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxins was studied on histological midgut sections of larvae of coffee leaf miner Perileucoptera coffeella from Brazil and Perileucoptera sp from Madagascar. CryIA(a), CryIA(b), CryIA(c), CryIB, CryIE, and CryIIA were tested for binding, and only CryIA(c), CryIB, and CryIE yielded a positive response. The toxins bound to the whole midgut, and the result was identical on both insect populations. The same toxins, to the number of which CryIC was added, were tested on larvae of P. coffeella. CryIA(c) and CryIB were toxic with an LC50 of 1.47mgr;g/ml and 21.93mgr;g/ml, respectively. CryIE was not toxic to P. coffeella. CryIA(c) and CryIB were tested for synergistic activity and were shown to act by cumulative effect when delivered to the insect larvae as a mixture.

Aiming to contribute to the development of alternative control methods of the coffee leaf miner, Leucoptera coffeella (Guérin-Mèneville & Perrottet, 1842) (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae), a search for plants able to produce active substances against this insect was carried out, with species collected during different periods of time in the Alto Rio Grande region, (Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil). Coffee leaves containing L. coffeella mines were joined with 106 extracts from 77 plant species and, after 48 hours, the dead and alive caterpillars were counted. The extracts from Achillea millefolium, Citrus limon, Glechoma hederacea, Malva sylvestris, Mangifera indica, Mentha spicata, Mirabilis jalapa, Musa sapientum, Ocimum basiculum, Petiveria alliaceae, Porophyllum ruderale, Psidium guajava, Rosmarinus officinalis, Roupala montana, Sambucus nigra and Tropaeolum majus showed the highest mortality rates. Visando contribuir para o desenvolvimento de métodos alternativos de controle do bicho-mineiro-do-cafeeiro, Leucoptera coffeella (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae), buscou-se selecionar plantas coletadas em diferentes épocas na região do Alto Rio Grande, (Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brasil) que contenham substâncias ativas contra este inseto. Folhas de cafeeiro com minas intactas de L. coffeella foram colocadas em contato com 106 extratos provenientes de 78 espécies vegetais e, após 48 horas, contaram-se as lagartas vivas e mortas. Os extratos de Achillea millefolium, Citrus limon, Glechoma hederacea, Malva sylvestris, Mangifera indica, Mentha spicata, Mirabilis jalapa, Musa sapientum, Ocimum basiculum, Petiveria alliaceae, Porophyllum ruderale, Psidium guajava, Rosmarinus officinalis, Roupala montana, Sambucus nigra e Tropaeolum majus, provocaram os maiores índices de mortalidade.

Coffee Leaf Miner, Leucoptera coffeella is one of the main insect coffee pests in the Neotropics, causing yield decreases up to 80%, in countries such as Brazil. In Colombia, this insect pest has been poorly studied, since the damage it causes has been sporadic. This exploratory investigation was carried out in order to diagnose the damage caused by the coffee leaf miner and its parasitoids in the department of Antioquia. Pest infestation levels were evaluated as to incidences of natural parasitism, identifying the species of the parasitoids, through a bietapic sampling performed in more than 1,100 coffee crops between the ages of 2 and 5 years. Sixty (60) coffee trees per crop were evaluated four times through systematic sampling between 2013 and 2014. The results indicated an average of leaf miner infestation level under 2%, and parasitism levels between 58 and 89 %. In total, 787 parasitoid individuals emerged, all belonged to the Order Hymenoptera, family Eulophidae, comprising two subfamilies: Eulophinae and Entodininae. Seven parasitoid species were identified: Closterocerus coffeellae, Closterocerus lividus, Zagrammosoma multilineatum, Pnigalio sarasolai, Horismenus sp., Horismenus n. sp., and Apleurotropis n. sp. These last two new species for Colombia, and perhaps for science. The most abundant natural enemy of coffee leaf miner was the species C. coffeellae. The management of this insect pest by means of a conservation biological control strategy is recommended.

The objective of this work was to analyze coffee (Coffea arabica) genotypes resistant to the coffee leaf miner (Leucoptera coffeella) using microsatellite markers. Sixty-six loci were evaluated, of which 63 were obtained from the Brazilian Coffee Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) database. These loci were amplified in bulks of individuals from F5 progenies of 'Siriema' (C. arabica x C. racemosa) resistant and susceptible to the insect, in eight samples of C. racemosa, and in a F6 population of 'Siriema' with 91 individuals segregating for resistance to the leaf miner. Polymorphisms were verified for two simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci in bulks of the susceptible progenies. The two polymorphic alleles were present in around 70% of the susceptible genotypes in F5 and in approximately 90% of the susceptible individuals in F6. However, the polymorphic EST-SSR markers among populations contrasting for resistance to leaf miner were not correlated to the evaluated characteristics. SSR markers show inter- and intraspecific polymorphism in C. arabica and C. racemosa. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar genótipos de cafeeiro (Coffea arabica) resistentes ao bicho-mineiro (Leucoptera coffeella), com uso de marcadores microssatélites. Foram avaliados 66 locos, dos quais 63 foram obtidos do banco de sequências expressas (EST) de café. Esses locos foram amplificados em "bulks" de progênies F5 de 'Siriema' (C. arabica x C. racemosa) resistentes e suscetíveis ao ataque da praga, em oito acessos de C. racemosa, e em uma população F6 de 'Siriema' com 91 indivíduos que segregam para resistência ao bicho-mineiro. Os polimorfismos foram verificados em dois locos de marcadores microssatélites (SSR), nos "bulks" das progênies suscetíveis. Os dois alelos polimórficos estiveram presentes em torno de 70% dos genótipos suscetíveis em F5 e em, aproximadamente, 90% dos indivíduos suscetíveis em F6. Entretanto, os marcadores EST-SSR polimórficos entre populações contrastantes para a resistência ao bicho-mineiro não foram correlacionados às características avaliadas. Os marcadores SSR apresentam polimorfismo inter e intraespecífico em C. arabica e C. racemosa.

Os insetos possuem diferentes enzimas digestivas que catalisam as reações de hidrólise do alimento consumido e essas se diferenciam entre os insetos de acordo com suas dietas e estado fisiológico. Foram avaliadas as atividades de algumas enzimas digestivas da praga do cafeeiro - Leucoptera coffeella (Guérin-Mèneville & Perrottet, 1842) (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae) - popularmente conhecida como bicho-mineiro do cafeeiro, para o entendimento de seu processo digestivo. Lagartas do bicho-mineiro do cafeeiro foram coletadas em campo e em casa-de-vegetação. O extrato enzimático utilizado foi obtido pela maceração das lagartas em água (4ºC). Determinaram-se os pH's ótimos e as atividades das enzimas α e β-glicosidases, α-amilase, aminopeptidase, fosfatase alcalina, sacarase, trealase e tripsina, incubando o extrato enzimático do bicho-mineiro do cafeeiro com substratos específicos. A análise dos resultados sugere que o processo digestivo e o ambiente intestinal do bicho-mineiro do cafeeiro sejam similares com o dos demais lepidópteros encontrados na literatura. Insects are fitted with different digestive enzymes that catalyses the food hydrolysis. Those enzymes differ from one insect to another according to their diets and physiological status. In this work, one intended to verify the activities of some digestive enzymes of the coffee leaf miner - Leucoptera coffeella (Guérin-Mèneville & Perrottet, 1842) (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae) - as a pre-requisite to understand its digest process, since this insect is a major plague in coffee production systems. Coffee leaf miner caterpillars were collected in fields and in greenhouse. The enzyme extract utilized in determining the enzyme activities was obtained through grinding the caterpillars in cold water. The optimum pH and the activities of the enzymes α and β-glucosidases, α-amylase, aminopeptidase, alkaline phosphatase, saccharase, trehalase and trypsin were measured by incubating the enzyme extract with specific substrates. The analysis of the optimum pH's indicated that the digestive process and intestinal environment of this insect are similar to another lepidopterans consulted in the literature.

The transformation of coffee plantlets with the cry1ac gene of Bacillus thuringiensis was achieved by biolistic using either the whole pUBC plasmid or only the ubi-cry1ac-nos genetic cassette. The cry1ac gene was inserted into coffee plants in order to confer resistance to the leaf miner Leucoptera coffeella, an insect responsible for considerable losses in coffee crops. Bearing in mind that the genetic cassettes used for this study lack reporter genes and/or selection marker genes, the parameters for the transformation procedure by biolistic were previously standardised with a plasmid carrying the gus reporter gene. The presence of the cry1ac gene in young plantlet tissues was determined by PCR, Southern blot and reverse transcription-PCR. Our results show that the obtainment of viable coffee plantlets, transformed by bombardment with the cry1ac gene and without selection markers nor reporter genes, is feasible.

Leucoptera coffeella (Guérin-Mèneville) é praga-chave na cafeicultura; contudo, faltam informações sobre sua reprodução para o desenvolvimento de táticas de controle por comportamento. Este trabalho teve como objetivos determinar a periodicidade de cópulas; a periodicidade de captura dos machos e caracterizar o comportamento de acasalamento de L. coffeella. A periodicidade de acasalamento foi avaliada em laboratório com casais virgens de diferentes idades, zero a cinco dias após a emergência, individualizados em tubos transparentes. A periodicidade de captura foi avaliada em café cv. Catuaí, onde foram instaladas armadilhas Delta com dois atraentes: fêmeas virgens e septos de borracha impregnados com o feromônio sexual sintético. As etapas do comportamento de acasalamento foram descritas a partir de observação direta e de filmagens de casais virgens individualizados em tubos transparentes. Os acasalamentos ocorreram entre 4h e 6h da fotofase, onde as maiores freqüências envolveram casais com idades entre um e três dias da emergência, com pico de acasalamentos na quinta hora da fotofase. Os casais recém-emergidos ou velhos mostraram significativamente menor freqüência de cópulas e o pico dos acasalamentos antecipado em 1h. A maior captura ocorreu às 12:00h e 13:00h, nas armadilhas com fêmeas virgens e feromônio sexual sintético, respectivamente. Pelos resultados, L. coffeella é um inseto com acasalamento diurno e os comportamentos de chamamento e corte seguem o padrão encontrado em outros Lepidoptera. Despite the importance of Leucoptera coffeella (Guérin-Mèneville) in coffee production worldwide, there is a lack of information on its reproductive biology. This knowledge will help in mass rearing, as well as support the development of behavioral control techniques for this insect. The purpose of the study was to determine the periodicity of mating and male capture and describe the mating behavior L. coffeella. In laboratory, we observed the periodicity of mating with virgin couples of different ages, zero to five days after emergence. Male activity was studied in a 0.7 ha coffee plantation, cv. Catuaí, where Delta traps were installed at 0.5 m above ground, using either virgin females or rubber septa lured with the synthetic sex pheromone. The sequence of mating behavior was studied by making visual observations and recorded of pairs placed on individual plastic tubes. Mating occurred between 4h and 6h of photophase, when the highest frequencies involved pairs with ages of one and three days after emergence, with peak of mating occurring in 5th hour of photophase. The young or old pairs showed significantly copulation frequency and the peak of matings advance in 1h. The highest male capture occurred at 12p.m. and 13 p.m. by traps with virgin females or traps with synthetic sex pheromone lures, respectively. L. coffeella is one insect with diurnal mating and the mating behavior was not different from what is know for other Lepidoptera species.

O bicho-mineiro Leucoptera coffeella (Guérin-Mèneville), uma das pragas mais importantes da cafeicultura brasileira, é controlado principalmente com inseticidas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar os resíduos e a translocação do inseticida tiametoxam em folhas de cafeeiros, bem como avaliar seu efeito no controle do bicho-mineiro, comparando-o com o aldicarbe, utilizado como padrão. Para isto, foi instalado um experimento no município de Garça, SP, no período de dezembro/2001 a agosto/2002. Os tratamentos utilizados foram: aldicarbe 150 G, nas doses de 2,25 e 4,50 g i.a./cova, tiametoxam 10 GR, nas doses de 0,15 e 0,30 g i.a./cova e testemunha (sem aplicação). Amostras de ramos foram colhidas em pré-contagem e aos 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210 e 240 dias após a aplicação, em três alturas dos cafeeiros (terços inferior, médio e superior), avaliando-se a porcentagem de folhas minadas. As determinações de aldicarbe e seus metabólitos ativos, aldicarbe sulfoxido e sulfona, e os de tiametoxam foram feitas por cromatografia em fase gasosa usando-se detector de nitrogênio-fósforo e de espectrometria de massas, respectivamente. Os resultados indicaram translocação uniforme de ambos inseticidas nos três terços das plantas de café, quando aplicados no solo. Foi constatada também, a maior persistência do tiametoxam, cujos resíduos foram encontrados até oito meses após a aplicação, enquanto os metabólitos sulfóxido e sulfona foram encontrados entre quatro e seis meses após a aplicação. Foi observado controle do bicho-mineiro pela aplicação de ambos inseticidas. The coffee leaf miner Leucoptera coffeella (Guérin-Mèneville), one of the major pests of coffee crops in Brazil, is mainly controlled with insecticides. The objective of this study was to evaluate the residues and the translocation of the insecticide thiamethoxam in coffee leaves, as well as to study its effect on the coffee leaf miner control, comparing it with aldicarb, used as standard. One experiment was set up in the county of Garça, SP from December/2001 to August/2002. The treatments used were: aldicarb 150 G at the rates of 2.25 and 4.50 g a.i./pit, thiamethoxam 10 GR, at the rates of 0.15 and 0.30 g a.i./pit and check. Twig samples were collected prior to and 30 , 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210 and 240 days after the application, at three coffee plant heights (lower, middle and upper third), and the percentage of mined leaves was evaluated. The determination of aldicarb residues, including their sulphoxide and sulfone metabolites and of thiamethoxam were performed by gas chromatography with a nitrogen-phosphorus and mass spectrometer detectors, respectively. The results indicated a uniform translocation of both insecticides in all three thirds of the coffee plants when applied to the soil. A higher persistence of thiamethoxam was verified with its residues being found for as far long as eight months following the application, while aldicarb residues, including the sulphoxide and sulfone metabolites, were found only until four to six months after the application. Control of the coffee leaf miner was observed with both insecticides.

International audience; A pluriannual field trial of transgenic clones of Coffea canephora (the Robusta coffee tree) transformed for resistance to the lepidopteran coffee leaf miner Leucoptera coffeella was installed in French Guiana. Fifty-eight transformed clones produced by transformation of the C. canephora clone 126 were planted. They were harbouring the pEF1alpha constitutive promoter of Arabidopsis thaliana controlling either the Bacillus thuringiensis native gene for the cry1Ac insecticidal protein (eight clones) or a synthetic cry1Ac gene (53 clones). The vectors for the transformation were a strain of the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens and one of Agrobacterium rhizogenes. The transformed clones were generally independent, presenting different integration patterns of the genetic construct. Four randomly distributed groups of five plants per transformed clone were planted along with 60 untransformed control trees. Over a 4-year period after plantation six releases of L. coffeella were performed. Mines on the leaves are the marks of larvae development and were counted on plants. A majority of the independent transformed clones harbouring the synthetic gene and transformed by the strain of A. tumefaciens displayed constantly much less mines than the control, therefore expressing a stable resistance. The need for complementary research is presented

O bicho-mineiro, Leucoptera coffeella (Guérin-Méneville, 1842) (Lepidoptera :Lyonetiidae), é a principal praga da cultura cafeeira, chegando a causar prejuízos superiores a 50% na produção, em virtude da queda prematura das folhas e redução da área fotossintética. O programa de melhoramento genético do cafeeiro do Instituto Agronômico (IAC) utiliza a espécie Coffea racemosa como doadora de genes de resistência a L. coffeella para C. arabica. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar uma caracterização comparativa do tecido foliar e relacioná-la ao ataque de L. coffeella nas espécies genitoras C. arabica e C. racemosa, e em plantas híbridas oriundas desse cruzamento, com diferentes níveis de resistência, visando fornecer ferramentas para futura identificação dos genes de resistência ao bicho-mineiro. Cortes transversais de folhas foram usados em estudos anatômicos para obter medidas individuais da espessura das cutículas, epidermes, parênquima paliçádico, parênquima lacunoso, espessura total da folha e porcentagem do mesofilo representada pelo parênquima paliçádico. As lesões provocadas pelo inseto foram medidas após um e quatro dias da eclosão das lagartas, em cada um dos tratamentos. Existem diferenças na espessura dos tecidos foliares entre as espécies C. arabica e C. racemosa, porém não houve diferenças entre plantas híbridas resistentes e suscetíveis, sugerindo que as características avaliadas não estão relacionadas ao mecanismo de resistência a L. coffeella. Nas avaliações das lesões, observou-se o crescimento reduzido dos insetos em plantas resistentes, sugerindo que a resistência das plantas se deve à presença de substâncias químicas no parênquima paliçádico. The leaf miner Leucoptera coffeella (Guérin-Méneville, 1842) (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae) is the major pest of coffee culture, being responsible for significant production losses as result of premature leaf fall, and consequent reduction of the photosynthetic area. The Coffee Breeding Program of the Agronomic Institute (IAC) has transferred through crossing genes that confer resistance to leaf miner from Coffea racemosa to the susceptible species C. arabica. The main objective of this study was to characterize leaf tissues, at histological level, from the parental species C. racemosa and C. arabica, and also from hybrids exhibiting different resistance levels. Histological analyses were performed in leaf transversal sections, and included measurements of cuticles and epidermis thickness, total palisade and spongy parenchyma, total leaf thickness, and percentage of the palisade parenchyma from total mesophyll. Results revealed that there were significant differences in leaf thickness between parental species C. arabica and C. racemosa. However, in hybrids no such difference could be observed between resistant and susceptible progenies, suggesting that the anatomical differences of parental genotypes are not related to resistance mechanisms to L. coffeella. When leaf lesions caused by insect attack were measured one and four days after larvae eclosion a slow insect development was observed in resistant plants, which could be related to a presence of specific chemicals in the palisade parenchyma.

The influence of altitude on infestations by coffee leaf-miner, Leucoptera coffeella , and on predation levels of the species by wasps is provided. Coffee leaves were sampled from July 1998 to April 2001 in experimental plots from coffee plantations at nine different altitudes. Results showed pest occurrence throughout the whole year. Peaks of pest infestation and predation varied from year to year, mainly between August and November, and between December and February respectively. Highest infestations by leafminer occurred at 850 m altitude, while the predation levels showed slight increase up to 860 m. They reached a maximum at this point but decreased at higher altitudes. A weak, albeit significant negative correlation between pest infestation and predation has been reported.

We analyzed the volatiles emitted by Mexican populations of the female coffee leafminer moth Leucoptera coffeella that were collected in coffee plantations located in the Soconusco region of Chiapas. Our results confirmed previous results that L. coffeella females emitted 5,9-dimethylpentadecane as the major and 5,9-dimethylhexadecane as the minor component. Field response of the coffee leafminer moth to stereoisomers of the major component showed that delta traps baited with (5S,9R)-dimethylpentadecane caught a significantly greater number of coffee leafminer males when compared to those captured by traps baited with (5R,9R)-dimethylpentadecane, (5R,9S)-dimethylpentadecane and the control. The number of coffee leafminer captured by traps baited with (5S,9S)-dimethylpentadecane was not significantly different from the number captured by traps baited with (5R,9R)-dimethylpentadecane. The results are discussed in view of the possibility of using stereoisomers as bait for monitoring the leafminer mo...

The severe defoliation of coffee plants in the Central Plateau region of Costa Rica and the heavy outbreak of a leaf miner, Leucoptera coffeella (Guerin-Meneville), in coffee plantings in Guatemala were investigated in 1964. Insects that inhabit coffee plantings and the surrounding environment were identified. In Costa Rica the severe defoliation was caused by infestations of red spider mites, Oligonychus sp., and localized but severe outbreaks of L. coffeella . The citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Risso), had also damaged coffee plantings in certain areas. Since a drought prevailed and an active volcano was spewing ash, the degree of defoliation caused by insects, drought, or ash deposit could not be separated. Malathion sprays applied by helicopter reduced the infestations of mites and leaf miners but did not control the mealybugs; the sprays were often applied too late in the season for maximum efficiency. In Guatemala, the leaf miner had severely defoliated coffee grown at altitudes below 3000 feet. Although the insect was present in all plantations visited, it had not caused serious injury at the higher altitudes where parasites seemed more plentiful. Certain varieties of coffee appear to be resistant to injury. Other injurious insects identified on coffee included: the black thread scale, Ischnaspis longirostis (Signoret); Coccus sp.; and Saissetia sp. Parasites and predator species reared from larvae of L. coffeella in Guatemala included: Bucculatriplex sp., Calvolia sp., Closterocems sp., Entedontini sp., Zagrammosoma sp. and Thysanus sp. Parasitic species of insects collected in trays under coffee plants when insecticides were applied by helicopter included: Drino sp., Leschenaultia leucophrys (Wiedemann), Perisierola sp., Apanteles sp., Horismenus sp., Zagrammosoma sp., Eurytoma sp., Rieya sp., Platygaster sp., Trichacis sp., Ceratoteleia sp., Trissolcus sp., and 10 species of Formicidae. Other species of insects collected in Guatemala and Costa Rica are listed.

Two leaf miners of coffee, Leucoptera coffeella and L. caffeina are present in the Kilimanjaro and Usambara districts of Tanganyika. The life-histories of L. coffeella and its parasites and a study made during 1937–40 of the populations of the host and its parasites in the Kilimanjaro area in both unshaded and shaded coffee are described. Some observations are made on the “dominant stage” of the host.

Records of Leucoptera coffeella (Guér.) from Kenya and Tanganyika have been found to be based on misidentifications and to refer to a distinct species, Leucoptera meyricki Ghesq. Other records of coffeella from the Old World seem open to doubt and require to be reinvestigated since they may also be based on misidentifications. L. coffeella seems likely to be a Neotropical species predominant in the West Indies. A lectotype is designated for meyricki, but the type material of coffeella cannot be traced and the identity of the latter species remains to be properly established. The present generic assignment of meyricki and coffeella in the genus Leucoptera Hübn. needs to be reconsidered in the light of the new genus Perileucoptera Silvestri (1943).

Leucoptera coffeella , one of the most serious coffee pests in the New World, is considered an introduced species, suitable for classical biological control, although its exact origin is uncertain. Three pieces of evidence—(1) the little noticed presence of L. coffeella on coffee in Madagascar and on Reunion, (2) the presence of several native coffee species on Reunion, and (3) the arrival of Coffea arabica Var bourbon to the Americas by way of Reunion—lead to the hypothesis that Reunion is the native home of this species and the appropriate site for natural enemy exploration.