Data from: Coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) development across an elevational gradient on Hawai'i Island: applying laboratory degree-day predictions to natural field populations

Coffee berry borer (CBB, Hypothenemus hampei) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae:
Scolytinae) is the most destructive pest of coffee worldwide. Information
on CBB development times can be used to predict the initiation of new
infestation cycles early in the coffee-growing season and thus inform the
timing of insecticide applications. While laboratory estimates of CBB
development under constant conditions exist, they have not been applied
under the heterogeneous environmental conditions that characterize many
coffee-growing regions. We measured CBB development times and abundance in
commercial coffee farms across an elevational gradient on Hawai‘i Island
and applied thermal accumulation models from previous laboratory studies
to test their fit to field data. Artificial lures were used to infest
coffee berries at five farms ranging in elevation from 279-792 m, and
weather variables were monitored at macro (farm-level) and micro
(branch-level) scales. CBB development was followed in the field from the
time of initial berry infestation by the founding female through the
development of F1 mature adults. Mean development time from egg to adult
across all sites was 38.5 ± 3.46 days, while the mean time required for
the completion of a full life cycle (from time of infestation to presence
of mature F1 females) was 50.9 ± 3.35 days. Development time increased
with increasing elevation and decreasing temperature. Using macro-scale
temperature data and two different estimates for the lower temperature
threshold (14.9°C and 13.9°C), we estimated a mean requirement of 332 ± 14
degree-days and 386 ± 16 degree-days, respectively, from the time of berry
infestation to the initiation of a new reproductive cycle in mature coffee
berries. Similar estimates were obtained using micro-scale temperature
data, indicating that macro-scale temperature monitoring is sufficient for
life-cycle prediction. We also present a model relating elevation to
number of CBB generations per month. Our findings suggest that CBB
development times from laboratory studies are generally applicable to
field conditions on Hawai‘i Island and can be used as a decision support
tool to improve IPM strategies for this worldwide pest of coffee.