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The coffee-berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) was accidentally introduced into Brazil in 1913 and later invaded coffee plantations throughout South and Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. The insect still causes worldwide annual losses of some US$500 million, affecting the incomes of more than 20 million coffee-farming families in roughly 80 nations. We contend that a radical change in research direction is called for if the damage inflicted by this pest is to be contained.

The topic has generated more than 1,600 papers, so far with little practical success. This is partly because the insect spends most of its life concealed inside the coffee berry feeding on the seeds, making its management difficult. But it may also be because the focus on developing biological control agents such as fungal entomopathogens and parasitoids is too narrow. The results have been disappointing, and major practical and economic obstacles have prevented their implementation in the field.

Research should instead be aimed at exploring potential attractants and repellents, and at gaining a better understanding of the microbiota associated with the insect.