Description of the sperm and spermatheca of Hypothenemus hampei (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) for the differentiation of mated and unmated females

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The coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari), is a major insect pest of coffee crops worldwide. As part of a program of studies aimed at efficient and sustainable pest control, a study was conducted to determine the mating status of adult females in the broader context of studying pest dispersal behavior. To that end, it was deemed important to determine the morphology of the H. hampei female reproductive tract. This study focused on direct observation of the spermatheca of unmated, and colonizing adult females obtained from natural field populations with a high probability of having mated, and the description of all organs of the reproductive tract using established standard staining and microscopy techniques. Spermathecae were extracted from the samples and sorted according to their origin (unmated or colonizing females). The morphology of sperm present in the female spermathecae was compared with that of sperm taken directly from male testes. Two staining techniques using Giemsa and chlorazol black allowed spermatheca and sperm to be distinguished from other tissues. Under these conditions, a more precise description of the spermatheca was achieved, including the spermathecal duct and spermathecal muscles, spermathecal gland, and, for the first time, sperm when present. These techniques permitted the accurate and rapid determination of the presence or absence of sperm in the spermathecae of H. hampei females, thereby establishing their mating status. eng

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