From forest to plantation? Obscure articles reveal alternative host plants for the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

The coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), is the most devastating insect pest of coffee throughout the world. The insect is endemic to Africa but can now be found throughout nearly all coffee-producing countries. One area of basic biology of the insect that remains unresolved is that of its alternative host plants, i.e. which fruits of plants, other than coffee, can the insect survive and reproduce in. An in-depth survey of the literature revealed an article by Schedl listing 21 genera in 13 families in which the insect was collected, mainly in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This overlooked reference, together with information provided in other early articles, suggests that H. hampei is polyphagous, and could provide, if confirmed in the field, critical information on the evolution of this insect's diet, ecology and host range. (c) 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 107, 86-94.