Incidence and composition of Ceratitid fruit flies in wild coffee, <i>Coffea arabica</i> L. southwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

Incidence and composition of fruit flies were studied at afromontane rainforests of southwestern Ethiopia: Yayu, Berhane-kontir and Bonga forest which are located in Illubabor, Benchi- Maji and Kefa zones, respectively. Based on ecological descriptions of forest coffee population, each forest locality was stratified into three forest sites and sixteen trees were systematically selected for assessment of fruit fly berry infestation. The result of the study showed that Ceratitis fasciventris (Bezzi) and Ceratitis anonae Graham are new records for Ethiopia. Ceratitis fasciventris, Trirhithrum coffeae and C. anonae were collected from all the study areas and accounted 85.26, 13.68 and 1.06% of the overall fruit fly population recovered, respectively. Fruit fly incidence on ripen coffee berry ranged from 43.65% to 61.57 % (Yayu), 66.33% to 76.13% (Berhane-Kontir) and 79.77% to 85.1% (Bonga). A statistically significant difference (P<0.05) was observed in fruit flies incidence among the three sites. To promote the highly desired forest C. arabica, which still remains as a purely organic product in the country and fetches maximum premium coffee, the implication on the embryo death of the host during the infestation of fruit flies of ripen coffee berries, possible taints and off-flavours in coffee liquor quality should be studied across agro-ecological zones of coffee growing areas.

Keywords/phrases:Afromontane rainforest, Fruit flies, Incidence, Wild Coffea arabica L.

Ethiop. J. Biol. Sci. 10(2): 213-221, 2011