As per a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, tiny beetles are indulged in carnal activity in coffee beans. The findings of the study were published in the Journal of Insect Behavior.
Discovery News also reported that a lot of sex takes place in coffee beans before they are roasted.
As per researchers, the insects known as coffee berry borers (Hypothenemus hampei), the most serious pests among coffee plantations worldwide, find their way into coffee beans by sniffing out the chemical released by the coffee plants.
Females of insects which are also known as ‘Ferrari’ are about .07 inches long, whereas the males are only about .06 inches long.
According to researchers, as the male insects are smaller, they are termed as ‘dwarves’. When females do not reproduce through the parthenogenesis (asexual reproduction), they then copulate with the males.
Study co-author Weliton Dias Silva said this is done before the female insects prepare to leave the native coffee fruit to improve their chances of successful colonization.
Researchers found that females leave the beans almost after 15 days, but the males stay and try to find their way home.
Here are some suggestions for those who are worried that their coffee might contain these tiny insects. Experts said that if the coffee seems hollower than others, or has any tiny beetle-sized holes in them, then the coffee should be avoided.
Experts also suggested that if one likes Arabica beans, then he/she should start finding a new flavor for them as these are the most infested beans.
