Record of New Species of Parasitoids on Larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Dichomeris famulata Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in Maize (Zea mays L.) in Brazil

Abstract

The knowledge of the flow of parasitoids in cultivated areas is a practice that should be adopted for choosing a best method for the regulation of pest populations. The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence of parasitoids associated with lepidopterous larvae Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Noctuidae) and Dichomeris famulata Meyrick (Gelechiidae) in maize under organic and conventional production system. The experiment was conducted at the National Research Center for Maize and Sorghum (CNPMS) in Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. During all cycle of maize (variety BR 106) for each production system three times a week, 10 plants and/or 10 ears were sampled from each of the 24 plots. At the laboratory larvae were distributed in individual rearing containers with artificial diet until the end of the biological cycle. Hymenoptera parasitoids emerged from S. frugiperda included the Ichneumonidae Campoletis flavicincta, Colpotrochia sp. nov., Eiphosoma laphygmae e Ophion flavidus and the Braconidae Chelonus (Chelonus) insularis, Dolichozele koebelei e Exasticolus sp. nov. Colpotrochia sp. nov., Dolichozele koebelei and Exasticolus sp. nov. are registered for the first time parasitizing S. frugiperda. From larvae of D. famulata emerged the Braconidae Cotesia sp., Glyptapanteles sp., Phanerotoma sp. (Group Fuscovaria) and Chelonus (Microchelonus) sp. nov. (first occurrence in D. famulata). The results indicate the potential of the parasitoids to natural biological control agents for use in integrated management programs of phytophagous insects in maize.