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Naupactus curtus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) increasing the incidence of Ascochyta coffeae on Coffea arabica in Brazil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2009

Flávio Lemes Fernandes ,
Marcelo Coutinho Picanço ,
Laercio Zambolim ,
Antonio Fernando Souza  and
Renan Batista Queiroz
Flávio Lemes Fernandes*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biologia Animal, Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-000Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Marcelo Coutinho Picanço
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biologia Animal, Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-000Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Laercio Zambolim
Affiliation:
Departamento de Fitopatologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-000Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Antonio Fernando Souza
Affiliation:
Departamento de Fitopatologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-000Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Renan Batista Queiroz
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biologia Animal, Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-000Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
*
*E-mail: flavio.lemes@yahoo.com.br

Abstract

This is the first report of the weevil Naupactus curtus Boheman favouring Ascochyta disease on coffee plants in Brazil. From August to October 2008 (the period of N. curtus occurrence), six coffee crops were monitored with the evaluation of 565 coffee plants. Leaves showing injuries caused by N. curtus and Ascochyta coffeae strains were found in Ponte Nova and Jaboticatubas, Minas Gerais, Brazil. A positive and significant correlation between the number of lesions caused by the weevil and those resulting from an infection by the Ascochyta disease was observed. These results suggest that insect control may be an alternative in order to reduce disease proliferation.

Keywords

ColeopteraAscochyta diseaseNaupactuscoffee plantsBrazil

Information

Type
Scientific Note
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 29 , Issue 3 , September 2009 , pp. 169 - 170
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 2009

Introduction

Weevils of the genus Naupactus are known pests of citrus in Australia, Brazil, the USA (Florida) and New Zealand (Tarrant and McCoy, Reference Tarrant and McCoy1989; Lanteri et al., Reference Lanteri, Guedes and Parra2002; Steven, Reference Steven2005). In Brazil, Naupactus curtus Boheman has caused defoliation in only three crops: coffee Coffea arabica L. (Rubiaceae), the mulberry tree Morus alba L. (Moraceae) and the Acerola tree Malpighia glabra L. (Malpighiaceae) (Sanchez-Soto et al., Reference Sanchez-Soto, Guedes and Nakano2005). According to these authors, adults of this species feed on the borders of leaves, which commonly present an engrailed aspect, reducing the leaf area and, consequently, the photosynthetic rate. In spite of its occurrence, little is known on its potential damage to coffee crops.

Ascochyta (Ascochyta coffeae) is a disease that attacks several plant species and has caused losses in many crops in Brazil, including coffee (Waller and Bigger, Reference Waller, Bigger and Hillocks2007). This work aimed to elucidate the relationship between N. curtus and A. coffeae on coffee plants in Brazil.

Materials and methods

From August to October 2008 (the period of N. curtus occurrence), six coffee crops were monitored and, in total, 565 coffee plants were evaluated. On each plant, four branches and the fourth pair of leaves were verified for the number of lesions caused by N. curtus, and the incidence of the disease was recorded. Leaves showing symptoms of the A. coffeae disease were collected and transported to the Phytopathology Laboratory of the Federal University in Viçosa (Brazil) in order to identify the disease. Data on number of lesions caused by N. curtus per plant with and without the presence of the disease were submitted to the Pearson correlation analysis.

Results

Leaves showing lesions caused by both N. curtus and strains of A. coffeae were found in the municipalities of Ponte Nova and Jaboticatubas, Minas Gerais, Brazil (Fig. 1A–C). A positive and significant correlation between the number of lesions by N. curtus and those of A. coffeae was recorded (r = 0.87, P < 0.0001). Out of 125 plants with lesions by N. curtus, 35% also showed symptoms of an A. coffeae infection.

Fig. 1

Ascochyta (Ascochyta coffeae) disease symptoms (A), lesion caused by Naupactus curtus with the ring stains caused by an A. coffeae infection (B), and damage caused by N. curtus (C) in leaves of Coffea arabica.

Discussion

Insects are important vectors for many diseases. However, so far it was not known that N. curtus can act as a facilitator for the Ascochyta disease in coffee. Presumably, the defoliation caused by the weevils enables the pathogen to subsequently infect the plants, resulting in leaf yellowing and leaf fall. Our results suggest that possibly the control of N. curtus may be an alternative to reduce the proliferation of the Ascochyta disease in coffee stands.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank CAPES, FAPEMIG, CNPq, Dr Miguel Angel Monné from Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) for his help in verifying the identification of N. curtus, and Mr Jeff Oar for supporting in the English language.

References

Lanteri, A. A., Guedes, J. C. and Parra, J. R. P. (2002) Weevils injurious for roots of citrus in São Paulo State, Brazil. Neotropical Entomology 31, 561–569.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanchez-Soto, S., Guedes, J. C. and Nakano, O. (2005) Ocorrência de Naupactus curtus Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) em três plantas de importância econômica no Brasil. Neotropical Entomology 34, 693.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steven, D. (2005) Japanese change their quarantine system: No more sticky bands! New Zealand Kiwi Journal 170, 40–42.Google Scholar
Tarrant, C. A. and McCoy, C. W. (1989) Effect of temperature and relative humidity on the egg and larval stages of some citrus root weevils. Florida Entomologist 72, 117–123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waller, J. M., Bigger, M. and Hillocks, R. J. (eds) (2007) Coffee Pests, Diseases and Their Management. CAB International, UK Centre. 400 pp.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Figure 0

Fig. 1 Ascochyta (Ascochyta coffeae) disease symptoms (A), lesion caused by Naupactus curtus with the ring stains caused by an A. coffeae infection (B), and damage caused by N. curtus (C) in leaves of Coffea arabica.