Artificial fruits and nuts for studying predation of cryptic prey: a case of 3D-printed coffee berries for studying predation of coffee berry borer by flat bark beetles

Abstract

Studying the effects of predation in cryptic herbivorous insects is difficult because many spend all or most of their life cycle inside their host plant. Here, we designed and 3D-printed artificial coffee berries to study predation of coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae), by the flat bark beetle, Cathartus quadricollis (Guerin-Meneville) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae). The 3D-printed berries were tested under laboratory and field conditions and the results confirmed the usefulness of 3D-printed materials to create life-like models for studying predation.