Impacts of weather, shade cover and elevation on coffee leafminer Leucoptera coffeella (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae) population dynamics and natural enemies

We assessed the influences of ambient temperature, rainfall, shade cover and elevation on seasonal abundance of coffee leafminer Leucoptera coffeella (Guérin-Ménèville) and its natural enemies in coffee farms in the Soconusco region of Chiapas, Mexico. Mined coffee leaves were most abundant during the rainy season (i.e. historical average rainfall >200 mm/mo, April-November) compared to the dry season (<100 mm/mo, December-March), and at low (<600 m asl) relative to high (>900 m asl) elevations. The abundance of mined leaves increased with rainfall, and decreased with maximum daily temperatures. Coffee leafminer survivorship was highest during the dry season (>40%), when predation was lowest (<10%). Predation was the main source of coffee leafminer mortality, and was greatest during the rainy season (>25%) when coffee leafminer incidence was highest (>30% mined leaves per plant). None of the weather variables that were evaluated (viz. maximum and minimum temperatures, and rainfall) significantly impacted parasitism ratios.