THE POTENTIAL OF THREE LARVAL PREDATORS AGAINST FALL ARMYWORM SPODOPTERA FRUGIPERDA (LEPIDPTERA: NOCTUIDAE) UNDER THE LABORATORY CONDITION

Abstract

Most cereal crops are often damaged by lepidopterous insects. Of recent, fall armyworm, S. frugiperda (J.E. Smith) has resulted into yield and economic loss in many African and Asian countries. This reduces farmers’ income drastically and to overcome this damage, pesticides have been used which are not also environmentally friendly. Experiments were set up to collect data on the potential of three larval predators Orius strigicollis, Micromus angulatus, and Podisus maculiventris against S. frugiperda. The consumption of S. frugiperda larvae by three predators had highly significant effects (P≤0.05) on first, fourth, and sixth instars. No significant difference was reported between M. angulatus and O. strigicollis on second, third and fifth larval instars of S. frugiperda. O. strigicollis consumed more first larval instar (6.2±0.71) of S. frugiperda than M. angulatus (4.9±1.07) and P. maculiventris (4.2±0.74). However, P. maculiventris consumed more second to sixth larval instars of S. frugiperda than other two predators (O. strigicollis and M. angulatus). The predator P. maculiventris is recommended for controlling S. frugiperda in their second to sixth larval instars while O. strigicollis in the first larval instar. It can be also concluded that fourth larval instars of S. frugiperda is more suitable for its control using predator P. maculiventris as compared to other larval instars. This study therefore recommends predator Podisus maculiventris to be used in control of S. frugiperda under laboratory conditions.