The Antestia Bug Complex in Africa and Asia 467
et al. (1999) in Burundi; Mbondji Mbondji (1997, 1999, 2001) in Cameroon; and Mugo (1994), Mugo and
Ndoiru (1997) and Mugo et al. (2013) in Kenya, to name a few.
The present chapter reviews our knowledge of the Antestia bugs’ distribution, life history, natural
enemies as well as their damage, role in coffee potato taste defect, economic impact, and control. We dis-
cuss the ecological range and distribution on coffee of the Antestia species, which currently are limited
to Africa and Asia. Interestingly, other major coffee pests originating in Africa, such as the coffee berry
borer, have spread globally to coffee plantations everywhere.
10.2 Antestiopsis Species and Their Distribution on Coffee in Africa and Asia
10.2.1 Antestiopsis spp.
1952 Antestiopsis Leston. Rev. Zool. Bot. Afr., 45: 269. Orthotype, Cimex anchora. Thunberg, 1783, Dissert. Ent. Nov.
Ins. Sp., Sistens, J. 2:47 (Upsala).
In 1952, Leston proposed Antestiopsis as a new genus for coffee bugs formerly classified in the genus
Antestia. The genus Antestiopsis currently includes a dozen species, most of which have an African
distribution although one species is reported on coffee in India. African species are present everywhere
Arabica coffee is grown on the continent. The appearance of all of these African Antestiopsis spe-
cies is similar in shape, size, and color (Figure 10.1A–C, E–F). However, any given species can show
variation in size, intensity, and disposition of color patterns on the body. Given that the distributions of
Antestiopsis species often overlap, the morphological characteristics of these species created confusion
in the early taxonomy of these bugs. Most species have been described several times and have been given
different names, and some authors still use inappropriate names today.
There have been several attempts to clarify the classification of the group in the first half of 20th cen-
tury (Kirkpatrick 1937, Leston 1952, Carayon 1954a), but the most complete work is that of Greathead
(1966a, 1968) who proposed for African species an in-depth study of the taxonomy of the group includ-
ing identification keys, distribution maps, and morphometric and biological data with crossbreeding
trials. Information presented here is largely taken from the Greathead studies, with the exception of
Antestiopsis cruciata, which has an Asian distribution. Taxonomy of this Asian species is based on the
study of Rider et al. (2002). The taxonomy of one of the most important African species of the group,
A. thunbergii, has been revised recently by Rider (1998), and this study also will be included.
10.2.2 Antestiopsis thunbergii (Gmelin)
1783 Cimex variegatus Thunberg, Dissert. Ent. Nov. Ins. Sp., Sistens, 2: 48–49. (preoccupied).
1790 Cimex thunbergii Gmelin, Car. Lin. Syst. Nat., 1: 2158. (new name).
1822 Cimex olivaceus Thunberg, Dissert. Ent. Hem. Rostr. Capens., Acad. Typo. 2–3. (preoccupied; synonym).
1837 Pentatoma orbitalis Westwood, Cat. Hem. Coll. Rev. F.W. Hope, M.A., 8, 35 (London). (synonym).
1838 Cimex facetus Germar, Rev. Ent., 5: 172. (synonym).
1854 Pentatoma lineaticollis Stål, Ofvers. Vet.-Akad. Förh., 10[1853]: 220 (Stockholm). (synonym).
1867 Strachia pentatomoides Walker, Cat. Sp. Het. Hem. Coll. Brit. Mus., 2, 325 (London). (synonym).
1952 Antestiopsis faceta: Leston, Rev. Zool. Bot. Afr., 45: 269.
1953 Antestiopsis orbitalis: Leston, Ann. S. Afr. Mus., 51: 58.
1959 Antestiopsis lineaticollis: Le Pelley, East Afr. High Com., 54, 185 (Nairobi).
1966a Antestiopsis orbitalis orbitalis: Greathead, Bull. Ent. Res., 58: 520, 521–525.
1998 Antestiopsis thunbergii: Rider, Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., 100(3): 450–451, new combination for Cimex thunbergii
Gmelin, 1790.
Antestiopsis thunbergii occurs from the southernmost part of Cape Province in South Africa to the high-
lands of Kenya and Ethiopia and usually is the most common Antestia bug on coffee where it is grown