Bathycoelia thalassina (Herrich-Schaeffer), (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae); a Pest of Theobroma cacao L.

Abstract

LARGE nymphs and adult Bathycoelia thalassina (Herrich-Schaeffer) have recently been found to feed on developing cocoa pods, causing damage to the beans; the small nymphs feed mainly on the leaves and do little damage. The adults have long feeding stylets (about 2.2 cm) which can penetrate the pod cortex (see Fig. 1) and suck liquid from the developing beans; this results in malformed or atrophied beans. In ripe pods the malformed beans are brown instead of pink, and dry, lacking the sugary mucilage which normally covers beans.