Coffee volatiles and predatory wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) of the coffee leaf miner Leucoptera coffeella

Abstract

It is well established that plants infested with a single herbivore species can attract specific natural enemies through the emission of herbivore-induced volatiles. However, it is less clear what happens when plants are attacked by more than one species. We analyzed effects of volatile emissions of Coffea arabica plants upon species herbivory by the coffee leaf miner (Leucoptera coffeella), coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) and coccineal (Coccus viridis and Planococcus citri) interactions with predatory Vespidae. The coffee crops most attacked by L. coffeella presented a higher number of concentrations of volatile compounds. These results indicate that volatiles from C. arabica infested by L. coffeella may inform Vespidae adults about the presence of the most suitable stage of their prey.