El minador del café Leucoptera coffeella (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae) en café canéfora (Coffea canephora P.) en el caribe húmedo Colombiano.

Leucoptera coffeella (Guérin-Mèneville, 1842) (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae) is one of the main arthropod pests of coffee. It feeds on leaves forming galleries, and when its infestation is abundant, it can cause severe defoliation that affects yields by up to 52%. The objective of this research was to identify the insect and recognize its damage in the canephora coffee species (Coffea canephora P.) established in plots with free sun exposure in the research center Turipaná of Agrosavia (Córdoba). Monitoring was carried out by direct observation of three opposite branches of the middle third of randomly selected trees during the months of October-December 2021. In each tree, the number of affected leaves (with presence of mines) was recorded in relation to the total number of leaves per branch evaluated. Leaves with symptoms of damage and presence of the insect were taken to the entomology laboratory for rearing and taxonomic identification. Field observation made it possible to describe the damage: irregularly shaped and elongated mines, yellow or light green and brown; brown spots or spots with a yellow border associated with the insect's postures and white pupae were detected. According to the damage observed in the field and the results of the taxonomic identification, the presence of L. coffeella in the canefora coffee crop was corroborated. This information generates the first report of this pest in the Colombian humid Caribbean, which is the basis for continuing with biotechnological studies to propose strategies for its integrated management in this crop, which is projected as a different production alternative for farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]