Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is one of the major devastating insect pests of maize worldwide. The pest is difficult to control owing to its high reproductive capacity, wide host range, high migratory ability and adaptability diverse conditions. Biological control using the egg parasitoid, Telenomus remus (Nixon) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) has emerged as a promising management strategy. Intercropping maize with legumes such as cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) has shown potential to suppress FAW population. Field trails in a split-plot randomized complete block design with three replications evaluated FAW damage severity and yield increase in sole maize (Zea mays L) Sammaz 52 (SM) and maize-cowpea intercrop (varieties ‘Sweet beans’ [C1] and ‘Sokoto white [C2]) under three control measures: T. remus release (TR), cypermethrin (SI) and water control (W). Treatments consisted of SM+TR, SM+SI, SM+W, M+C1+TR, M+C1+SI, M+C1+W, M+C2+TR, M+C2+SI and M+C2+W. Data on FAW incidence and severity, cob count, cob weight and grain weight were subjected to ANOVA (p<0.05). At 3 WAP (Weeks after planting), SM+W plots had a significantly (p<0.05) higher FAW severity (57.48
The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a major invasive highly destruvtive insect pests causing substantial losses in maize and other crops across the world. The native parasitoid egg-larval parasitoid species, such as Chelonus spp. is prominent natural enemy of this pest. The natural control of S. frugiperda may achieved by parasitoids be able to strong tool. The present study evaluated the biology and parasitism compared the life cycles and effectiveness of two parasitoid wasps, Chelonus formosanus and Chelonus blackburni, S. frugiperda under a laboratory conditions (26 ± 2 °C, 75 ± 5
Abstract Background Many brown lacewings belong to the Hemerobiidae family, which are adults and larvae are voracious active predators and used in biological control of soft-bodied phytophagous pests, especially tetranychid mites, aphids, whiteflies and mealybugs. Sympherobius barberi Banks was reared on two different preys, i.e., the Duranta aphid, Aphis durantae and the acarid mite, Tyrophagus putrescentiae as an alternative prey for the purpose of determining the different biological aspects with the demographic parameters statistical values of S. barberi on these two prey species. Results The egg duration was not affected by the feeding type of females recording a range from 3.12 to 3.2 days. The total larval duration of males was, also, not affected by the prey type, while female’s larvae lasted 11 and 12.39 days on aphids and mites, respectively, with a significant difference. Also, the pupal period was not affected with the larval prey type showing a range of 4.73 to 5.44 days. The preimmaginal stages fed on T. putrescentiae had a shorter duration than those fed on aphids for females, with a significant difference, but not for males. The male or female longevity and fecundity were not affected by the larval prey type. The intrinsic rate of increase ( r m ), the net reproductive rate ( R 0 ), finite rate for increase ( λ ), mean generation time (T), and doubling time (DT) were 0.1255, 36.61, 1.134, 28.68 days, 5.523 days, respectively with rearing on aphids, while they were 0.1277, 35.16, 1.136, 27.88 days, and 5.428 days, respectively when reared on T. putrescentiae . Conclusion Using the acarid mite, T. putrescentiae as an alternative prey for S. barberi achieved a higher total survival rate in larvae that increased from 31% on aphid to 89% on T. putrescentiae without significant differences among most of the biological and demographic parameters. These findings suggest using of T. putrescentiae as an alternative prey at least for L1 and L2 for mass rearing the hemerobiid lacewings for classical biological control of soft-bodied insects and mites.
The lady beetle Chilocorus kuwanae (Silvestri) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is a dominant predatory species in tea agroecosystems across China. Previous assessments of its biocontrol efficacy have mainly relied on laboratory-based functional response experiments, leaving a gap in understanding its actual prey composition under field conditions. This study investigated the population dynamics of C. kuwanae in relation to four major tea pests (Empoasca onukii, Aleurocanthus camelliae, Ectropis grisescens, and Scopula subpunctaria) through continuous field surveys. Concurrently, the dietary composition of field collected C. kuwanae was characterized using DNA metabarcoding of specimens collected during the predator population peak. Field data revealed a strong synchrony between C. kuwanae and E. onukii, suggesting potential trophic interactions. Convergent Cross Mapping (CCM) analysis identified the bidirectional causality between C. kuwanae and E. onukii as the strongest among all pairwise interactions examined. DNA metabarcoding identified 28 arthropod prey taxa in the diet of C. kuwanae, including E. onukii, A. camelliae, and E. grisescens. Notably, E. onukii showed the highest relative read abundance (25.2
The Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri) is a key pest of citrus crops and transmits the bacterium that causes Huanglongbing (HLB). Due to the limitations of chemical pesticides, including resistance development, there is increasing interest in biological control agents, such as entomopathogenic fungi. This study investigates the potential of Akanthomyces lecanii as a biocontrol agent against D. citri. We assessed the pathogenicity of two A. lecanii isolates, V3450 and V09, across different developmental stages of D. citri (eggs, nymphs, and adults) using varying conidial concentrations. Our results demonstrated that isolate V3450 was the most virulent, particularly against nymphs, achieving 100
