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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Protection and Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #165538
Title: NATURAL DISTRIBUTION OF HYMENOPTERAN PARASITOIDS OF SPODOPTERA FRUGIPERDA (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE) LARVAE IN MEXICO

Author
item MOLINA-OCHOA, JAIME - UNIVERSITY OF COLIMA
item Carpenter, James
item LEZAMA-GUTIERREZ, ROBERTO - UNIVERSITY OF COLIMA
item FOSTER, JOHN - UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
item GONZALEZ-RAMIREZ, MARTIN - UNIVERSITY OF COLIMA
item ANGEL-SAHAGUN, CESAR ANDRES - UNIVERSITY OF COLIMA
item FARIAS-LARIOS, JAVIER - UNIVERSITY OF COLIMA

Submitted to: Florida Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/2004
Publication Date: 12/1/2004
Citation: Molina-Ochoa, J., Carpenter, J. E., Lezama-Gutierrez, R., Foster, J. E., Gonzalez-Ramirez, M., Angel-Sahagun, C. A., Farias-Larios, J. 2004. Natural distribution of Hymenopteran parasitoids of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae in Mexico. Florida Entomologist. 87(4):461-472.

Interpretive Summary: The fall armyworm (FAW) causes considerable economic losses to many different crops in most of the countries in the Western Hemisphere including the U.S. and Mexico. The value of parasitoids in reducing larval populations of this pest is recognized but the natural distribution and impact of each parasitoid species is not fully understood. Herein, we report the natural distribution of parasitoids of FAW larvae collected from whorl-stage corn, grain sorghum, forage sorghum, and Sudan grass fields from five Mexican states in the Pacific coast and one state in the Gulf of Mexico during the summer of 2000. Out of 5591 FAW larvae collected, 772 produced parasitoids, for a parasitism rate of 13.8%. The highest rate of parasitism from a single collection was 42.2%, representing three species of parasitoids in Michoacán. Our results support the idea that natural distribution and rates of parasitism of FAW larvae may be related to diverse habitats with more forests, orchards, and pastures near to cornfields.

Technical Abstract: A survey of parasitoids of fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), larvae was conducted in six Mexican states during August and September 2000. Thirteen genera of hymenopteran parasitoids were recovered representing the following 3 families, Braconidae: Aleoides, Chelonus, Cotesia, Glyptapanteles, Homolobus, and Meteorus); Ichneumonidae: Campoletis, Eiphosoma, Ophion, and Pristomerus; and Eulophidae: Aprostocetus, Euplectrus, and Horismenus. Out of 5591 FAW larvae collected, 772 produced parasitoids, for a parasitism rate of 13.8%. The highest rate of parasitism from a single collection was 42.2%, representing three species of parasitoids in Michoacán. Chelonus insularis Cresson was the most widely distributed species occurring in 45.3% of the locations. Pristomerus spinator (F.), and Meteorus laphygmae (Viereck), exhibited the highest rates of parasitism for a single collection with 22.2% and 22.1%, in Sinaloa, and Michoacán, respectively. The results supported the hypothesis that natural distribution and rates of parasitism of FAW larvae may be related to more diverse habitats with more forests, orchards, and pastures near to cornfields.