The resistance of coffee plants to Meloidogyne exigua is conferred by the gene Mex-1. However, the mechanisms of resistance still need to be clarified. Therefore, the penetration, development and reproduction of two populations of M. exigua (M1, isolated from the coffee plant and M2, from rubber tree) in susceptible (Coffea arabica 'Catuai') and resistant (C. canephora 'Apoatã') cultivars were studied. A greater quantity of J2 from M1 penetrated the susceptible cultivar, but there was no difference between the cultivars for M2. Although the resistant coffee cultivar formed some galls, the nematode did not reproduce. M2 did not induce the formation of galls or the production of eggs in either cultivars. Events related to hypersensitive reaction (HR) were observed as well as other defense responses of the coffee cultivar against M. exigua, which inhibited the formation of the feeding site, provoked emigration of the J2 and delayed or inhibited development and reproduction. The response of the non-host plant was more effective, because it did not allow development of the nematode or, consequently, its reproduction. It was concluded that the coffee cultivar's resistance to M. exigua is not restricted to HR, but rather to a set of defense responses, both constitutive and induced, expressed after nematode penetration, especially phenolic-like compounds.