Caradiophyodidae, a New Family of Micro-Wasps (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea) Based on the Description of gen. et sp. nov. in Mid-Cretaceous Burmese Amber.

The female micro-wasp in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber is described as a new genus and species in the extinct family Caradiophyodidae fam. nov. (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea).

Cultivation and Genome Sequencing of Bacteria Isolated From the Coffee Berry Borer (), With Emphasis on the Role of Caffeine Degradation.

The coffee berry borer, the most economically important insect pest of coffee worldwide, is the only insect capable of feeding and reproducing solely on the coffee seed, a food source containing the purine alkaloid caffeine. Twenty-one bacterial species associated with coffee berry borers from Hawai'i, Mexico, or a laboratory colony in Maryland ( sp. S40, S54, S55, , , sp.

Accurate Differentiation of Green Beans of Arabica and Robusta Coffee Using Nanofluidic Array of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) Markers.

Green (unroasted) coffee is one of the most traded agricultural commodities in the world. The Arabica (Coffea arabica L.) and Robusta (Coffea canephora Pierre ex A.

A mid-Cretaceous female scale insect (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccomorpha) in Burmese amber.

A new genus and species of scale insect (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) is described from a female specimen in mid-Cretaceous Burmese (Myanmar) amber. Fossil female scales are rare and the present species, described as Paleolepidotus macrocolus gen. et sp.

Draft Genome Sequence of sp. Strain CES, Containing the Entire Alkylxanthine Gene Cluster for Caffeine Breakdown.

strain CES was isolated from affeine-nriched oil and found to possess the -demethylation pathway for caffeine breakdown. We report the nucleotide sequence of the draft genome with 5,827,822 bp, 62.6% G+C content, and 5,427 protein-coding regions.

Early growth phase and caffeine content response to recent and projected increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide in coffee (Coffea arabica and C. canephora).

While [CO] effects on growth and secondary chemistry are well characterized for annual plant species, little is known about perennials. Among perennials, production of Coffea arabica and C. canephora (robusta) have enormous economic importance worldwide.

Entomopathogenic fungi (Hypocreales: Ophiocordycipitaceae) infecting bark lice (Psocoptera) in Dominican and Baltic amber.

Poinar & Vega sp. nov. in Dominican amber and Poinar & Vega sp.

Differential Metabolic Responses Caused by the Most Important Insect Pest of Coffee Worldwide, the Coffee Berry Borer ().

The world's coffee supply is threatened by the coffee berry borer, the most destructive pest affecting coffee production and quality. This study hypothesized that coffee berry borer infestation induces distinct metabolic responses in the green coffee seeds of and (robusta). A targeted metabolomics approach was conducted using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry to quantify intracellular metabolites in infested and uninfested arabica and robusta green seeds.

Publisher Correction: Anatomical study of the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) using micro-computed tomography.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Revealing the respiratory system of the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei; Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) using micro-computed tomography.

The coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) is the most economically important insect pest of coffee globally. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) was used to reconstruct the respiratory system of this species for the first time; this is the smallest insect (ca. 2 mm long) for which this has been done to date.

Anatomical study of the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) using micro-computed tomography.

Traditionally, the study of anatomy in insects has been based on dissection techniques. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is an X-ray based technique that allows visualization of the internal anatomy of insects in situ and does not require dissections. We report on the use of micro-CT scans to study, in detail, the internal structures and organs of the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei), the most damaging insect pest of coffee worldwide.

Elucidation of Hosts, Native Distribution, and Habitat of the Coffee Berry Borer () Using Herbaria and Other Museum Collections.

The coffee berry borer () is the most damaging insect pest of global coffee production. Despite its importance, our knowledge on the insect's natural habitat, range, and wild host species remains poorly known. Using archival sources (mainly herbaria but also other museum collections), we surveyed 18,667 predominantly wild-collected herbarium specimens mostly from Africa, Madagascar, and Asia for coffee berry borer occurrence.

Ecology and Evolution of Insect-Fungus Mutualisms.

The evolution of a mutualism requires reciprocal interactions whereby one species provides a service that the other species cannot perform or performs less efficiently. Services exchanged in insect-fungus mutualisms include nutrition, protection, and dispersal. In ectosymbioses, which are the focus of this review, fungi can be consumed by insects or can degrade plant polymers or defensive compounds, thereby making a substrate available to insects.

Poisonous setae on a Baltic amber caterpillar.

The knobbed setae on a small caterpillar in 45-55 million years old [Eocene] Baltic amber were studied and characterized as urticating, with evidence of liquid release implying the production of poisons. It is presumed that the caterpillar had been disturbed just prior to falling into the resin, as some of its setae showed defensive responses. The swollen tips of the setae are equipped with "trip hairs" and when disturbed, the tips release liquid deposits, some of which contain rod-like bodies.

A mid-Cretaceous trichomycete, Priscadvena corymbosa gen. et sp. nov., in Burmese amber.

Priscadvena corymbosa gen. et sp. nov.

Observing the devastating coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) inside the coffee berry using micro-computed tomography.

The coffee berry borer is the most devastating insect pest of coffee throughout the world. The insect spends most of its life cycle inside the coffee berry, which makes it quite difficult to observe its behaviour. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) was used to observe all developmental stages of the coffee berry borer inside coffee berries (Coffea canephora).

A mid-Cretaceous ambrosia fungus, Paleoambrosia entomophila gen. nov. et sp. nov. (Ascomycota: Ophiostomatales) in Burmese (Myanmar) amber, and evidence for a femoral mycangium.

An ambrosia fungus is described from filamentous sporodochia adjacent to a wood-boring ambrosia beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Platypodinae) in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Yeast-like propagules and hyphal fragments of Paleoambrosia entomophila gen. nov.

Micro-CT to Document the Coffee Bean Weevil, (Coleoptera: Anthribidae), Inside Field-Collected Coffee Berries ().

The coffee bean weevil, (De Geer) (Coleoptera: Anthribidae), is a cosmopolitan insect with >100 hosts, and has been reported as a pest of stored coffee. During a study involving the coffee berry borer, we observed coffee bean weevils emerging from field-collected coffee berries and used micro-computerized tomography (micro-CT) scans to observe the insect inside the berry. Two eggs had eclosed inside the berry, resulting in observations of a newly eclosed adult beetle and a 5th instar larva, each feeding on one of the two seeds.

The use of fungal entomopathogens as endophytes in biological control: a review.

Fungal entomopathogens have been proposed as environmentally friendly alternatives to chemical control. Unfortunately, their effectiveness continues to be limited by their susceptibility to ultraviolet (UV) light and low moisture. A relatively recent development, the use of fungal entomopathogens as endophytes, might overcome the traditional obstacles impeding the widespread adoption of fungal entomopathogens and also provide a novel alternative for management of insect pests and plant pathogens.

Root environment is a key determinant of fungal entomopathogen endophytism following seed treatment in the common bean, .

The common bean is the most important food legume in the world. We examined the potential of the fungal entomopathogens and applied as seed treatments for their endophytic establishment in the common bean. Endophytic colonization in sterile sand:peat averaged ca.

Fungal endophytes in germinated seeds of the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris.

We conducted a survey of fungal endophytes in 582 germinated seeds belonging to 11 Colombian cultivars of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). The survey yielded 394 endophytic isolates belonging to 42 taxa, as identified by sequence analysis of the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Aureobasidium pullulans was the dominant endophyte, isolated from 46.