Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Cossidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Polyphagozerra | |
Similar Zeuzera, Cossidae, Zeuzera multistrigata, Coccus viridis, Mosquito bugs | ||
The red coffee borer, (Polyphagozerra coffeae), also known as coffee carpenter, is a moth of the Cossidae family. It is found in Asia. Records from the Moluccas and New Guinea refer to Polyphagozerra reticulata, which was previously considered to be a synonym of P. coffeae. It is one of the widespread pest that attacks on many plants.
Contents
The wingspan is 70–80 mm. Females are much larger and relatively rare.
Description
The characteristic feature is fore wing with vein 6 from above angle of cell. All three segments of thorax have a pair of small black spots. Abdomen is black, clothed with white hairs. Fore wings with the spots small, black and all obsolescent except those along the costa, outer margin and inner margin. Hind wing with a few obsolescent small spots and a prominent marginal series from the apex to vein 2, where they sometimes conjoined. In female, spots of the fore wing are fewer in number than in male, but more prominent and tinged with metallic blue. Larva and pupa reddish brown in color.
Ecology
Female lay eggs on stem of the host plants. They are arranged in several rows on the branches of the plant. Larvae hatch out from the eggs in about ten days. The larvae feed on a wide range of plants, including Casuarina, Erythroxylum, Acalypha, Phyllanthus, Doryalis, Hydnocarpus, Annona, Cinnamomum, Persea, Phoebe, Amherstia, Cassia, Pericopsis, Xylia, Gossypium, Hibiscus, Cedrela, Chukrasia, Melia, Swietenia, Psidium, Grevillea, Crataegus, Eriobotrya, Coffea, Citrus, Santalum, Filicium, Nephelium, Schleichera, Cestrum, Theobroma, Cryptomeria, Camellia, Clerodendrum, Lantana, Tectona and Vitex species. The larvae occasionally reach pest status on coffee, tea, cotton, cocoa, kapok, coca and teak. They bore into the stem or branches of their host plant.
From Thrissur district of Kerala, larvae of coffee carpenter were found damaging allspice for the first time.
Pest attack
After larval attack, the crops can be show many symptoms. Branches and twigs wilt quickly and then become brittle resulting break off from plant. Holes are frequently visible from which the frass is exuded. Stems show dieback due to internal feeding and finally wilt. After complete internal feeding, the plant quickly dieback occurs.
Control
In cultural methods, adults and larva can hand picked and removed, immediately infestation is spotted. Planting barrier crops such as taro or sweet potato, Leucaena glauca or Pueraria species is also used in many countries. In biological control, many parasitoids and predators are used. To control larva, Bracon zeuzerae, larva of Eulophonotus myrmeleon, and Pantorhytes species are used. Woodpeckers are also effective.