Abstract:
The possibility was investigated that Heterospilus coffeicola, a
Coffee Berry Borer parasitoid with biological control potential, might
be
a
vector
introduction.
H.
of
disease inoculum into
areas
earmarked for
its
coffeicola cannot as yet be reared in the laboratory and so
readily cultured species Heterospilus prosopidis was used
as a
a
test
parasitoid.
Sporulating cultures of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
and also C. coffeanum (the causal pathogen of Coffee Berry Disease)
were used to infest the parasitoids experimentally.
Adult parasitoids could collect fungal spores of both pathogens.
Small progeny of H. prosopidis also picked up spores when -exposed to sporulating cultures of C. coffeanum.Spore viability on the parasitoids declined significantly, but not to zero, 10 days after infestation.