Coffee berry borer

The Coffee Berry Borer (Hypothenemus hampei) is a tiny bark beetle in the family Curculionidae (subfamily Scolytinae), measuring only 1.5–2 millimetres in length, yet considered the world's most economically damaging insect pest of coffee, causing annual losses estimated in excess of US$500 million across coffee-producing nations globally. Females bore into the tip of green or ripe coffee berries to reach the seeds (beans), where they lay eggs in galleries excavated within the endosperm. Larvae develop entirely within the seed, consuming it and reducing the commercial value of affected coffee. The insect's parthenogenetic reproduction, inbreeding mating system—where brothers fertilise sisters within the berry—and rapid generation time enable explosive population growth within infested orchards. Originally from sub-Saharan Africa, the coffee berry borer has spread to virtually all coffee-growing regions worldwide, including Central and South America, Asia, and the Pacific Islands, travelling through infested green coffee exports. Management approaches include integrated pest management using Beauveria bassiana fungal biopesticides, parasitic wasps such as Cephalonomia stephanoderis, and cultural practices including stripping residual berries from trees after harvest. Chemical insecticide resistance has been documented in several populations.