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Wengrat APGS, Carvalho LC, Pietrowski V, Schoeninger K, Costa VA, Johnson NF. First Record of Telenomus dilophonotae (Hymenoptera, Scelionidae), Parasitizing Eggs of Erinnyis ello (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae) in Western Paraná, Brazil, with Molecular Characterization and Records of Occurrences. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2024; 53:1162-1167. [PMID: 39008212 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-024-01183-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
There are few records for Telenomus dilophonotae Cameron, 1913 (Hymenoptera, Scelionidae) from South America. In Brazil, the first occurrence was reported in Bahia in rubber crops, Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex Adr. de Juss.) Muell. - Arg., there parasitizing eggs of Erinnyis ello Linnaeus, 1758 (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae). It was also found parasitizing the same host in cassava, Manihot esculenta Crantz (Euphorbiaceae). This is the first record of occurrence of T. dilophonotae in the state of Paraná, parasitizing eggs of E. ello in areas of cassava production in the western region of Paraná, this being the southernmost record of the species. Here, photographs, the first sequence of DNA barcode of this species of parasitoid wasp, and a distribution map are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula G S Wengrat
- Depto de Entomologia e Acarologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" (USP-ESALQ), Univ de São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
| | - Leidiane Coelho Carvalho
- Depto de Produção Vegetal, Univ Estadual do Oeste do Paraná (UNIOESTE), Rua Pernambuco, Marechal Cândido Rondon, PR, Brazil
| | - Vanda Pietrowski
- Depto de Produção Vegetal, Univ Estadual do Oeste do Paraná (UNIOESTE), Rua Pernambuco, Marechal Cândido Rondon, PR, Brazil
| | - Karine Schoeninger
- Centro Avançado de Pesquisa em Proteção de Plantas e Saúde Animal, Instituto Biológico, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Valmir Antonio Costa
- Centro Avançado de Pesquisa em Proteção de Plantas e Saúde Animal, Instituto Biológico, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Norman F Johnson
- Dept of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State Univ, Columbus, OH, USA
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Schoeninger K, Wengrat APGS, Costa VA, Hansson C. Horismenus saturnus n. sp. (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) a New Parasitoid Wasp from Eggs of Saturniidae (Lepidoptera) from the Atlantic Forest, Minas Gerais, Brazil. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2024; 53:1055-1063. [PMID: 39012616 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-024-01180-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
A new species of Horismenus Walker, H. saturnus Schoeninger & Hansson (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), is described from material reared from eggs of an unidentified species of Saturniidae (Lepidoptera). The new species is compared to H. cupreus (Ashmead, 1894), a species it is very similar to, and to H. ancillus (Brèthes), a species with the same type of host as H. saturnus. A total of 30 adult specimens developed from the eggs of Saturniidae. This is the second record of a Horismenus species parasitizing eggs of Saturniidae and the first record of this host from Brazil. Here, we provide a diagnosis and description of the new species including morphological and molecular characters, and multiple illustrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Schoeninger
- Centro Avançado de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Em Sanidade Agropecuária, Instituto Biológico, São Paulo, Campinas, Brazil.
| | - Ana P G S Wengrat
- Depto de Entomologia e Acarologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (USP/ESALQ), Univ de São Paulo, São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Valmir Antonio Costa
- Centro Avançado de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Em Sanidade Agropecuária, Instituto Biológico, São Paulo, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Christer Hansson
- Scientific Associate of the Biological Museum (Entomology), Lund Univ, Lund, Sweden, and of the Natural History Museum, London, U.K
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Kirichenko NI, Ageev AA, Astapenko SA, Golovina AN, Kasparyan DR, Kosheleva OV, Timokhov AV, Tselikh EV, Zakharov EV, Musolin DL, Belokobylskij SA. The Diversity of Parasitoids and Their Role in the Control of the Siberian Moth, Dendrolimus sibiricus (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), a Major Coniferous Pest in Northern Asia. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:268. [PMID: 38398777 PMCID: PMC10890493 DOI: 10.3390/life14020268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The Siberian moth, Dendrolimus sibiricus Tschetv., 1908 (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) is a conifer pest that causes unprecedented forest mortality in Northern Asia, leading to enormous ecological and economic losses. This is the first study summarizing data on the parasitoid diversity and parasitism of this pest over the last 118 years (1905-2022). Based on 860 specimens of freshly reared and archival parasitoids, 16 species from two orders (Hymenoptera and Diptera) were identified morphologically and/or with the use of DNA barcoding. For all of them, data on distribution and hosts and images of parasitoid adults are provided. Among them, the braconid species, Meteorus versicolor (Wesmael, 1835), was documented as a parasitoid of D. sibiricus for the first time. The eastern Palaearctic form, Aleiodes esenbeckii (Hartig, 1838) dendrolimi (Matsumura, 1926), status nov., was resurrected from synonymy as a valid subspecies, and a key for its differentiation from the western Palaearctic subspecies Aleiodes esenbeckii ssp. esenbecki is provided. DNA barcodes of 11 parasitoid species from Siberia, i.e., nine hymenopterans and two dipterans, represented novel records and can be used for accurate molecular genetic identification of species. An exhaustive checklist of parasitoids accounting for 93 species associated with D. sibirisus in northern Asia was compiled. Finally, the literature and original data on parasitism in D. sibiricus populations for the last 83 years (1940-2022) were analysed taking into account the pest population dynamics (i.e., growth, outbreak, decline, and depression phases). A gradual time-lagged increase in egg and pupal parasitism in D. sibiricus populations was detected, with a peak in the pest decline phase. According to long-term observations, the following species are able to cause significant mortality of D. sibiricus in Northern Asia: the hymenopteran egg parasitoids Telenomus tetratomus and Ooencyrtus pinicolus; the larval parasitoids Aleiodes esenbeckii sp. dendrolimi, Cotesia spp., and Glyptapanteles liparidis; and the dipteran pupal parasitoids Masicera sphingivora, Tachina sp., and Blepharipa sp. Their potential should be further explored in order to develop biocontrol programs for this important forest pest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia I. Kirichenko
- Federal Research Center, Sukachev Institute of Forest, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademgorodok 50/28, 660036 Krasnoyarsk, Russia
- Institute of Ecology and Geography, Siberian Federal University, Svobodny pr. 79, 660041 Krasnoyarsk, Russia
- All-Russian Plant Quarantine Center (FGBU VNIIKR), Krasnoyarsk Branch, Zhelyabova Str., 6/6, 660020 Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Alexander A. Ageev
- All-Russian Research Institute of Forestry and Forestry Mechanization (VNIILM), “Forest Pyrology Center”, Krasnoyarsk Branch, Krupskoy St., 42, 660062 Krasnoyarsk, Russia; (A.A.A.); (S.A.A.); (A.N.G.)
| | - Sergey A. Astapenko
- All-Russian Research Institute of Forestry and Forestry Mechanization (VNIILM), “Forest Pyrology Center”, Krasnoyarsk Branch, Krupskoy St., 42, 660062 Krasnoyarsk, Russia; (A.A.A.); (S.A.A.); (A.N.G.)
- Federal Budgetary Institution “Russian Forest Protection Center”, Akademgorodok 50/2, 660036 Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Anna N. Golovina
- All-Russian Research Institute of Forestry and Forestry Mechanization (VNIILM), “Forest Pyrology Center”, Krasnoyarsk Branch, Krupskoy St., 42, 660062 Krasnoyarsk, Russia; (A.A.A.); (S.A.A.); (A.N.G.)
| | - Dmitry R. Kasparyan
- Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya nab. 1, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia; (D.R.K.); (E.V.T.)
| | - Oksana V. Kosheleva
- All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection (FSBSI VIZR), Podbelskogo 3, 196608 Saint Petersburg, Russia;
| | - Alexander V. Timokhov
- Department of Entomology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 119234 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Ekaterina V. Tselikh
- Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya nab. 1, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia; (D.R.K.); (E.V.T.)
| | - Evgeny V. Zakharov
- Canadian Center for DNA Barcoding, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada;
| | - Dmitrii L. Musolin
- European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization, 21 Boulevard Richard Lenoir, 75011 Paris, France;
| | - Sergey A. Belokobylskij
- Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya nab. 1, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia; (D.R.K.); (E.V.T.)
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de Lacerda LF, Coelho A, de Paula PH, Amorim DJ, Demetrio CGB, Parra JRP. Biological basis for adoption of an isoline of Telenomus remus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) for an augmentative biological-control program for Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2023; 23:6. [PMID: 37721499 PMCID: PMC10506453 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iead045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
The widely distributed, polyphagous fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith, 1797), is one of the most important crop pests worldwide. The egg-parasitoid wasp, Telenomus remus Nixon, 1937, is frequently described as a possible control agent for S. frugiperda. We selected an isoline of T. remus and evaluated its parasitism potential (for 24 h) in S. frugiperda eggs, in laboratory conditions, and also its ability to fly at different temperatures and relative humidity levels, aiming to provide basic information about this isoline. The selected isoline maintained good flight capacity without affecting its parasitism efficiency or developing inefficient haplotypes for biological-control programs, compared across generations to a regularline laboratory-reared for more than 60 generations. The flight capacity of the isoline was best at 25-30 °C and relative humidity 70-90%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Fonseca de Lacerda
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Aloisio Coelho
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro Holtz de Paula
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Deoclécio J Amorim
- Department of Exact Sciences, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Clarice G B Demetrio
- Department of Exact Sciences, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José Roberto Postali Parra
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
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Fortes ADR, Coelho A, Amorim DJ, Demetrio CGB, Parra JRP. Biology and quality assessment of Telenomus remus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) and Trichogramma spp. (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) in eggs of Spodoptera spp. for augmentative biological control programs. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2023; 23:5. [PMID: 37721497 PMCID: PMC10506454 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iead047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
The Spodoptera complex of the family Noctuidae, represented here by S. frugiperda (J.E. Smith), S. eridania (Stoll), S. albula (Walker), and S. cosmioides (Walker), is an important group of crop pests in Brazil. Spodoptera frugiperda and S. eridania are invasive in Africa, and the former also in Asia and Oceania. The egg parasitoids Telenomus remus Nixon (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) and Trichogramma spp. (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) are potential control agents for field use against these noctuids. We evaluated the parasitism efficiency, development, and flight capacity of an isofemale line and a regular line of T. remus, and 2 genetically variable populations of Trichogramma pretiosum Riley and Trichogramma atopovirilia Oatman and Platner (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) in these 4 members of the Spodoptera complex. All parasitoids were able to develop in the 4 hosts. The parasitoids showed good flight capacity, except for the regular line of T. remus. The Trichogramma species, despite having high viability and female:male sex ratios, showed poorer parasitism performances than T. remus. The regular T. remus line also showed good parasitism capacity and high viability but had a predominance of males. In general, the isofemale line of T. remus showed good rates of parasitism and flight capacity as well as a high viability and sex ratio, proving to be a potential candidate for an augmentative biological-control program for Spodoptera spp Guenée (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice dos Reis Fortes
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Aloisio Coelho
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Deoclécio J Amorim
- Department of Exact Sciences, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Clarice G B Demetrio
- Department of Exact Sciences, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José R P Parra
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
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Kenis M. Prospects for classical biological control of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in invaded areas using parasitoids from the Americas. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 116:331-341. [PMID: 36889357 PMCID: PMC10125038 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toad029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is a polyphagous agricultural pest threatening food security worldwide. This American species recently invaded most of Africa, many Asian countries, and Oceania, where it mainly damages maize. Classical biological control (CBC) through the introduction of natural enemies from its area of origin is considered as a potential management approach. The paper reviews the prospects and constraints of a CBC programme against S. frugiperda using larval parasitoids, which are considered the most suitable natural enemies for introduction against this pest. The most important larval parasitoids in its native range are presented and discussed for their suitability as CBC agents, based the following criteria: their frequency of occurrence and parasitism levels, specificity, climatic suitability and absence of closely related species parasitizing S. frugiperda in the area of introduction. The ichneumonid Eiphosoma laphygmae Costa-Lima (Hymenoptera: Icheumonidae) is considered as a potential candidate for introduction because of its specificity and its importance as a parasitoid of the pest in most of its native range. The most frequent and important parasitoid of S. frugiperda in the Americas, the braconid Chelonus insularis Cresson (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), would most probably contribute to the control of S. frugiperda if released in invaded areas. However, it is oligophagous and would most certainly parasitize nontarget species. Before introducing C. insularis, or any other parasitoid species, the potential nontarget effects will have to be assessed and the risks will have to be weighed against the benefits of improving the natural control of this important pest.
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Amaral FSDAE, Kanno RH, do Nascimento ARB, Guidolin AS, Omoto C. Trends towards Lower Susceptibility of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to Teflubenzuron in Brazil: An Evidence for Field-Evolved Resistance. INSECTS 2023; 14:129. [PMID: 36835698 PMCID: PMC9965761 DOI: 10.3390/insects14020129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Susceptibility monitoring to insecticides is a key component to implementing insecticide resistance management (IRM) programs. In this research, the susceptibility to teflubenzuron in Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E Smith) was monitored in more than 200 field-collected populations from major corn-growing regions of Brazil, from 2004 to 2020. Initially, we defined a diagnostic concentration of 10 µg mL-1 of teflubenzuron using a diet-overlay bioassay for monitoring the susceptibility. A variation in the susceptibility to teflubenzuron in S. frugiperda was detected among populations from different locations. We also detected a significant reduction in the susceptibility to teflubenzuron throughout time in all the populations of S. frugiperda evaluated, with larval survival at diagnostic concentration varying from values of <5% in 2004 to up 80% in 2020. Thus, this research provides evidence of field-evolved resistance of S. frugiperda to teflubenzuron and reinforces that IRM practices are urgently needed to be implemented in Brazil.
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Yan XR, Wang ZY, Feng SQ, Zhao ZH, Li ZH. Impact of Temperature Change on the Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda under Global Climate Change. INSECTS 2022; 13:981. [PMID: 36354805 PMCID: PMC9693636 DOI: 10.3390/insects13110981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797), known as an important agricultural pest around the world, is indigenous to the tropical-subtropical regions in the Western Hemisphere, although its distribution has expanded over large parts of America, Africa, Asia and Oceania in the last few years. The pest causes considerable costs annually coupled with its strong invasion propensity. Temperature is identified as the dominant abiotic factor affecting herbivorous insects. Several efforts have reported that temperature directly or indirectly influences the geographic distribution, phenology and natural enemies of the poikilothermal FAW, and thus may affect the damage to crops, e.g., the increased developmental rate accelerates the intake of crops at higher temperatures. Under some extreme temperatures, the FAW is likely to regulate various genes expression in response to environmental changes, which causes a wider viability and possibility of invasion threat. Therefore, this paper seeks to review and critically consider the variations of developmental indicators, the relationships between the FAW and its natural enemies and the temperature tolerance throughout its developmental stage at varying levels of heat/cold stress. Based on this, we discuss more environmentally friendly and economical control measures, we put forward future challenges facing climate change, we further offer statistical basics and instrumental guidance significance for informing FAW pest forecasting, risk analyses and a comprehensive management program for effective control globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Rui Yan
- MARA Key Laboratory of Surveillance and Management for Plant Quarantine Pests, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Zhen-Ying Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Shi-Qian Feng
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zi-Hua Zhao
- MARA Key Laboratory of Surveillance and Management for Plant Quarantine Pests, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Zhi-Hong Li
- MARA Key Laboratory of Surveillance and Management for Plant Quarantine Pests, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China
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A Molecular Marker to Identify Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) DNA in Predators' Gut Content. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13070635. [PMID: 35886810 PMCID: PMC9319052 DOI: 10.3390/insects13070635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary This work aimed to build a molecular marker to detect Spodoptera frugiperda DNA in predators’ gut content. The molecular marker developed is highly specific, and it was able to detect S. frugiperda DNA in the gut content of ladybug and earwig predators in field conditions. Our results confirm that generalist predators feed on S. frugiperda in maize fields, and they must be considered in IPM programs for S. frugiperda suppression. Abstract Spodoptera frugiperda is a serious pest of maize and other crops worldwide. The integration of control tactics is recommended for S. frugiperda suppression because reports of insecticide and Btplant-resistance are frequent. Biological control agents would be an alternative to improve S. frugiperda control in agricultural areas. We constructed a species-specific molecular marker to detect S. frugiperda DNA in predators’ gut content and estimated the predation rates of ladybugs and earwigs on S. frugiperda in maize crops. Predators were sampled in Pirassununga, São Paulo state, Brazil, in 2020 and 2021. Using the species-specific molecular marker in laboratory conditions, we estimated the half-life time to detect S. frugiperda DNA in the gut contents of Hippodamia convergens as 6.16 h and Doru luteipes as 25.72 h. The weekly predation rate of S. frugiperda by predators in maize crop varied from 0 to 42.1% by ladybugs and from 0 to 9.2% by D. luteipes. Predation events on S. frugiperda by predators were more frequent during the maize reproductive stage. Our results confirmed that predators might contribute to S. frugiperda suppression in maize fields. However, further studies of prey–predator interactions and agricultural landscapes are essential for a better understanding of predator dynamics in crops.
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