Coffee / cocoa bean weevil

Araecerus fasciculatus

1. Identification

• Common name: Coffee bean weevil / cocoa weevil
• Scientific name: Araecerus fasciculatus (De Geer)
• Order: Coleoptera
• Family: Anthribidae

2. Pest description

• Adults: Beetles 3–5 mm long, dark brown body with light spots, long clavate antennae; highly mobile and able to fly; mainly infest stored products.
• Larvae: Apodous, whitish, curved body and brown head; develop inside seeds, dried fruits and other stored products.
• Pupae: Formed inside the attacked product.
• Eggs: Laid on rough surfaces of seeds, dried fruits or stored plant materials.

3. Main hosts

• Coffee and cocoa.
• Numerous stored products, including spices, dried fruits, cereals, legumes, dried tubers and various seeds.
• It may also attack dried fruits still on the plant in tropical climates.

4. Symptoms and damage

• Fine perforations in seeds, grains or dried fruits.
• Presence of fine dust resulting from larval feeding.
• Loss of weight, quality and commercial value of the stored product.
• Contamination by live and dead insects and excrement.
• In food products, it may cause total rejection of the batch.

5. Biological cycle

• Continuous cycle in warm environments, with several generations per year.
• Adults live several weeks and are attracted to dry and aromatic products.
• Eggs laid on the surface of the product; larvae develop inside for 3–6 weeks.
• Pupation inside the product; adults emerge and restart the cycle.
• Development favoured by high temperatures and moderate humidity.

6. Monitoring

• Visual inspection of stored products to detect perforations and fine dust.
• Observation of adults in light or pheromone traps, as well as on light-coloured surfaces.
• Reinforced monitoring in warm, dry warehouses with aromatic products.
• Periodic assessment of batches stored over long periods.

7. Management measures

• Cultural: Thorough cleaning of warehouses; removal of food residues; stock rotation; storage in airtight containers; maintenance of low temperatures and humidity.
• Preventive: Inspection of products on arrival; use of resistant packaging; avoiding prolonged storage; adequate ventilation; avoiding mixing old batches with new ones; freezing small batches to eliminate eggs and larvae.
• Integrated protection: Regular monitoring; intervention only when necessary; practices that reduce the availability of food and oviposition sites.

Bibliographic references

• EPPO Global Database – Araecerus fasciculatus.
• CABI Invasive Species Compendium – Araecerus fasciculatus.
• FAO – Stored product pest management guidelines.
• Hill, D. S. (1990). Pests of stored products and their control.