Coffee bean beetle: Araecerus fasciculatus

• The coffee been beetle is a pest of coffee berries in the field and of beans in storage

Symptoms of damage

• Severe infestation occurs only in storage
• Absorption of moisture content
• Infested coffee beans shows circular holes (bigger than made by the coffee berry borer)
• Attacked fruits in the field shrink and become black.
• Infestation results in loss of weight increase in triage and reduction of market value.

Identification of the pest

• Adult - Pale grey with black spots and the entire body clothed of fine hair.
• Forewings - few longitudinal lines.
• Wings do not cover the tip of the abdomen.

Management

• Maintain optimum temperature, relative humidity and moisture content (less than 8%)
• Impregnate the gunny bags with a mixture of malathion 50 EC at 10ml + pyrethrum colloid at 2 g per litre of water.