An age-mass structured multi-year tritrophic simulation model of the coffee (Coffea arabica var. mundo novo) - coffee berry borer [Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari)], borer - three parasitoid system was developed. Three years of extensive plant drymatter data and one year of field data on borer dynamics were collected at Londrina, PR, Brazil. The allometric relationships and parameter for plant drymatter allocation were estimated from the field data, but the parameters for borer and its three parasitoids were summarized from the literature. Initial levels of soil factors (e.g., nitrogen and water) and observed weather data were used to drive the model. The model is largely independent of the field data, yet it simulated the dynamics of plant branching, fruiting and drymatter growth of plant subunits. Simulation results suggest that of the three parasitoids commonly introduced to control the borer, only the eulophid adult endo-parasitoid (Phymastichus coffea La Salle) has the demographic characteristics to potentially regulate borer populations. The effects of harvesting, cleanup of abscised berries, inundative releases of parasitoids and pesticides with various toxicity and persistence characteristics on borer dynamics were evaluated. The model is very flexible, and may provide a sound foundation for incorporating new findings, new varieties, and the biology of new natural enemies worldwide
Insecta; coffee; coffee berry borer; parasitoids; biological control; tritrophic modeling
