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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #405733
Research Project: Improved Biologically-Based Methods for Management of Native and Invasive Crop Insect Pests

Location: Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research

Title: Investigating the migratory behavior of soybean looper, a major pest of soybean, through comparisons with the corn pest fall armyworm using mitochondrial haplotypes and a sex-linked marker

Author
item Nagoshi, Rodney
item DAVIS, JEFFREY - Louisiana State University
item Meagher, Robert - Rob
item MUSSER, F. - Mississippi State University
item HEAD, GRAHAM - Bayer Cropscience
item PORTILLO, HECTOR - Fmc Corporation
item TERAN, HENRY - Corteva Agriscience

Submitted to: Genes
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/19/2023
Publication Date: 7/22/2023
Citation: Nagoshi, R.N., Davis, J.A., Meagher Jr, R.L., Musser, F.R., Head, G.P., Portillo, H., Teran, H. 2023. Investigating the migratory behavior of soybean looper, a major pest of soybean, through comparisons with the corn pest fall armyworm using mitochondrial haplotypes and a sex-linked marker. Genes. 14:1495. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14071495.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14071495

Interpretive Summary: The soybean looper is a major pest of soybean in the southeastern United States and is of particular concern because it has acquired resistance to a number of broad-based pesticides. These resistance traits are variable, making it difficult to predict when and where certain pesticide treatments will be effective. To better predict the distribution of these traits, a collaborative team of researchers led by a scientist from CMAVE in Gainesville FL initiated a study to investigate the migratory behavior of soybean looper. This was done using genetic methods succesfully applied to map fall armyworm migratory pathways in the United States. Contrary to expectations, the results indicate substantial differences in migratory behavior that appear to be related to differences in the timing of corn and soybean plantings.  These findings underscore the importance of agricultural practices in influencing pest migration patterns, in particular the timing of host availability relative to mean seasonal air transport patterns.

Technical Abstract: The Noctuid moth soybean looper (SBL), Chrysodeixis includens (Walker), is an economically important pest of soybean. Because it is not known to survive freezing winters, permanent populations in the United States are believed to be limited to the southern regions of Texas and Florida, yet infestations annually extend to Canada. This indicates annual migrations of thousands of kilometers during the spring and summer. This behavior is similar the fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, also a Noctuid that is a major global pest of corn. SBL and FAW are projected to have very similar distributions of permanent populations in North America based on climate suitability modeling and the overlap in the distribution of their preferred host plants (corn and soybean). It therefore seems likely that the two species will display similar migratory behavior in the United States. This was tested by identifying genetic markers in SBL analogous to those successfully used to delineate FAW migratory pathways and comparing the distribution patterns of the markers from the two species. Contrary to expectations, the results indicate substantial differences in migratory behavior that appear to be related to differences in the timing of corn and soybean plantings. These findings underscore the importance of agricultural practices in influencing pest migration patterns, in particular the timing of host availability relative to mean seasonal air transport patterns.