Abstract

Simple SummaryThe fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda is an invasive pest, which can cause severe economic losses by larvae feeding on a variety of crops. To develop effective control technology, it is particularly necessary to study the basic biology and ecology of this invasive insect. This experiment investigated the development, survival, and reproduction and population growth of S. frugiperda on six cash crop species. This study indicated that S. frugiperda fed on maize and wheat had shorter preadult developmental durations, higher preadult survival, greater pupal weights and higher fecundity compared to the other four plants. Moreover, although the young larvae of S. frugiperda feeding on Chinese cabbage had a high mortality rate, the old larvae were voracious, which might still cause economic losses to Chinese cabbage. Our results showed that S. frugiperda could cause great economic losses to these cash crops, which should attract the attention of agricultural management departments.Spodoptera frugiperda is a significant migratory invasive pest, identified as a serious threat to agricultural production and food security in China. However, to our knowledge, the effects of most host plants on the biological characteristics of S. frugiperda have not been well studied. To develop effective management strategies for S. frugiperda in its new invasive habitat, basic biological and ecological knowledge of this pest are crucial requirements. Here, we examined the effects of six cash crops maize, wheat, soybean, tomato, cotton and Chinese cabbage on the development, survival, fecundity of S. frugiperda by using the age-stage, two-sex life table. The preadult stage, adult preoviposition period and total preoviposition period of S. frugiperda were shortest on maize and wheat but were longest on tomato. Fecundity was greatest on maize and wheat but smallest on tomato. The highest intrinsic rate of increase, finite rate of increase, net reproductive rate and the shortest mean generation time were recorded on maize. This present study showed that S. frugiperda could cause great economic losses to these cash crops, which should attract the attention of agricultural management departments. Our findings provide useful information in predicting population dynamics and understanding the potential damage that could be incurred by S. frugiperda invasion.

Highlights

  • IntroductionThe fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), which originated in the tropical and subtropical regions of America, has been identified as a notorious polyphagous pest with high migration ability, a wide range of hosts, voracious larval feeding and high fecundity; this pest is known to cause heavy economic damage to crops and pastures worldwide [1,2,3]

  • The findings obtained in this study suggest that the development, survivorship, population growth of S. frugiperda cohorts can significantly vary depending on the plant species

  • In this reproduction and population growth of S. frugiperda cohorts can significantly vary depending on the present study, we found that the six plant species support the development of S. frugiperda, but the plant species

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Summary

Introduction

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), which originated in the tropical and subtropical regions of America, has been identified as a notorious polyphagous pest with high migration ability, a wide range of hosts, voracious larval feeding and high fecundity; this pest is known to cause heavy economic damage to crops and pastures worldwide [1,2,3]. Insects 2020, 11, 639 consists of two haplotypes: corn strain and rice strain. The corn-strain haplotype mainly feeds on corn, cotton and sorghum, while the rice-strain haplotype invades rice and pastures [4]. In Asia, S. frugiperda was first detected in India in 2018 and later in other countries, which include. In January 2019, the invasion of S. frugiperda was confirmed for the first time in Yunnan Province, China [7].

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