First record of occurrence and injury of Anomala testaceipennis Blanchard, 1851 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) in arabica coffee in Brazil

. The objective of this study is to record the injury of Anomala testaceipennis Blanchard, 1851 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) adults in coffee Coffea arabica L. in municipality of Piumhi, Minas Gerais, Brazil. This is the first reported of the A. testaceipennis attacking coffee.

Agriculture has great economic importance in Brazil (Reis et al. 2023).Pests are agents that reduce profits are one of the biggest challenges faced (Savary et al. 2019).The coleopterans are the most diverse group of the insect class, with about 400,000 related species in the world, representing about 40% of insect class (Bernardes et al. 2020).The family Scarabaeidae consists of about 27,800 species distributed in all biogeographic regions of the world (Patole 2019).Beetles of this family are important in the food chain, contribute to nutrient cycling, feed on pollen, living or decaying plant matter, and attacking various crops (Sabatinelli et al. 2020;Nervo et al. 2022;Souza et al. 2023).
Adults of A. testaceipennis were observed feeding on coffee leaves, at the apex and middle of arabica coffee plants, in production stage (5 years after planting), located in the municipality of Piumhi,Minas Gerais,Brazil (20°24'41.8" S and 46°03'11.4" W), altitude 800 m, cultivar Arara, planted in 3.2 x 0.6 m spacing.In this field, the adults were observed to measure approximately 15 mm in length and brown wings with a metallic green head (Fig. 1C).The adults exhibited an aggregate feeding habit, consuming the leaf lamina and leaving the nerves without feeding at night (8:00 to 9:00 h p.m.) (Figs.1A, 1E).We observed A. testaceipennis feeding in coffee plants from four fields and five points per field with 20 to 30 insects per plant.According to Oliveira et al. (2012a), this insect pest occurs in rows of approximately 50 m 2 , where about 300 insects per meter and can be found feeding on the leaves of the middle and upper part of the soy plants.In Figs.1A, 1D, 1E the place where they feed shows necrosis and senescence of the leaves and consequently leaf fall may occur.
The life cycle of A. testaceipennis lasts an average of 139.4 days (Rodrigues et al. 2008), with two generations per year.The adults have two broods, one in August, when females lay eggs and start the development of immatures, and another brood in December to February, when the second generation starts and completes the cycle in July and August (Ávila & Santos 2009).The females of this species oviposit in soils with high organic matter content in the nocturnal period (Rodrigues et al. 2008).After adult emergence, females survive about 12.5 days to reach sexual maturity (Rodrigues et al. 2008).This species presents a nocturnal habit, beginning its flight at dusk and finishing its activities around six in the morning (Rodrigues et al. 2014).They always fly in aggregate in swarms (Souza et al. 2023).
This study is the first report to A. testaceipennis in coffee crop in Brazil.This information is relevant for the integrated management of pest species, because its identification is a fundamental step in defining bioecology studies and directing specific control methods of its population.There are several reports of insects that were not identified as pests with possible adverse economic effects, and the lack of attention and inadequate management they became primary pests.In Brazil, since the late 19 th century, insect pest species have been introduced into the country, causing significant economic losses, including Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius, 1889) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari, 1867) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann, 1824) (Diptera: Tephritidae), Oryzophagus oryzae (Costa Lima, 1936) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Anthonomus grandis (Boheman, 1843) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) (Oliveira et al. 2012b).Liriomyza huidobrensis (Blanchard, 1926) (Diptera: Agromyzidae) considered a pest in several crops in Brazil, was first reported in the Alto Paranaíba region in the onion crop (Allium cepa L.) in the year 2014 causing damage of 120 kg ha -1 (Alves et al. 2014), subsequently becoming primary pest in this crop in the region.Like other pests, the A. testaceipennis beetle can become a pest in the coffee crop by causing economic damage by intensive defoliation and opening wounds on the plants that favor the entry of pathogens.Therefore, A. testaceipennis needs to be monitored by Brazilian coffee growers on coffee crops, on other host plants, and at times of occurrence.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.Species Anomala testaceipennis and injuries of this coleoptera in the coffee culture (Coffea arabica).A, E: Details of injuries on coffee leaves caused by A. testaceipennis; C: Anomala testaceipennis; B, D, F: Feeding by pointers, middle region of the plant.Photo: Kaike P. Mendonça (November and December of 2020).