Natural parasitism of Metaparasitylenchus hypothenemi (Tylenchida: Allantonematidae) on the coffee berry borer in Chiapas, Mexico

Abstract

We assessed the parasitism of Metaparasitylenchus hypothenemi on its host, the coffee berry borer, in 20 coffee plantations of Mexico. A total of 23,568 adult borers were dissected, with 179 of these infected with nematodes (0.76% infection rate). Although the level of parasitism is not encouraging, the nematode is another natural enemy, which limits the population growth of this pest in Mexico.

Keywords:

• coffee berry borer
• Hypothenemus
• Metaparasitylenchus
• Mexico

Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to the 20 coffee plantation owners who allowed us to work in their properties. Special thanks to Roman Montes Ordoñez for his excellent fieldwork during the collection of infested berries and José Higinio López for the map.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.