The coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei
(Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), is the most destructive insect pest of coffee throughout the world. It is distributed among most coffee growing countries, including those whose economies depend heavily on coffee production. This pest directly damages coffee berries and lowers the quantity and quality of coffee. Chemical control is widely used, but insecticide resistance has been reported, and efforts to manage this insect with cultural and biological-control methods are being vigorously investigated.
Previous investigations suggested that CBB reproduces through full-sib mating and has a chromosome cycle that further increases inbreeding, a functional haplo-diploidy. In addition, genetic variability in both mitochondrial DNA and the GABA receptor protein gene was found to be unusually low. These observations suggest that CBB populations may consist of highly inbred lines.
To test this possibility, we used AFLP’s to measure genetic variability of CBB from different locations throughout the world. CBB populations were collected from 15 countries in three continents. AFLP fingerprints were generated using DNA isolated separately from the offspring of single females. In all, six primer combinations were used to generate fingerprints of 98 females. This technique allowed us to screen for DNA polymorphisms at hundreds of genetic loci. As expected, the amount of genetic variability discovered was quite low. The greatest number of DNA polymorphisms was detected among populations in Africa-coffee’s center of origin. Interestingly, populations collected from Brazil had nearly as much variability as populations in Africa, whereas other populations, such as those collected from Mexico, were practically uniform. The molecular basis of these polymorphisms was investigated and will be discussed.
Species 1: Coleoptera Scolytidae Hypothenemus hampei (coffee berry borer)
Keywords: DNA fingerprints
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