First report of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), natural enemies from Africa

By Birhanu Sisay, J. Simiyu, Peter Malusi, P. Likhayo, E. Mendesil, Nsami Elibariki, Mulatu Wakgari, G. Ayalew, T. Tefera. Journal of applied entomology, 2018

197 citations recorded by the source corpus.

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, is a major pest of maize in North and South America. It was first reported from Africa in 2016 and currently established as a major invasive pest of maize. A survey was conducted to explore for natural enemies of the fall armyworm in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania in 2017. Smallholder maize farms were randomly selected and surveyed in the three countries. Five different species of parasitoids were recovered from fall armyworm eggs and larvae, including four within the Hymenoptera and one Dipteran. These species are new associations with FAW and were never reported before from Africa, North and South America. In Ethiopia, Cotesia icipe was the dominant larval parasitoid with parasitism ranging from 33.8% to 45.3%, while in Kenya, the tachinid fly, Palexorista zonata, was the primary parasitoid with 12.5% parasitism. Charops ater and Coccygidium luteum were the most common parasitoids in Kenya and Tanzania with parasitism ranging from 6 to 12%, and 4 to 8.3%, respectively. Although fall armyworm has rapidly spread throughout these three countries, we were encouraged to see a reasonable level of biological control in place. This study is of paramount importance in designing a biological control program for fall armyworm, either through conservation of native natural enemies or augmentative release.

Subfields: Insect Science, Molecular Biology, Plant Science

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/d43260f3151ea33b0aa48718cd6b7c711b71eef6

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Insect Science

1. A. Hruska
2. R. Meagher
3. F. Assefa
4. D. Ayalew
5. R. Nagoshi

In Molecular Biology

1. A. Hruska
2. G. Goergen
3. R. Meagher
4. R. Nagoshi

In Plant Science

1. F. Assefa
2. D. Ayalew
3. A. Hruska

Citations in the corpus

• Status and control measures of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) infestations in maize fields in Ethiopia: A review (2019, background): “Charops ater and Coccygidium luteum were commonly encountered parasitoids in Kenya and Tanzania where parasitism ranged from 6–12% and 4–8.3%, respectively (Birhanu et al., 2018).”
• Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) management by smallholders. (2019, background): “[50] examined parasitism of FAW and found Cotesia icipe was the dominant larval parasitoid with parasitism ranging from 33.”
• Natural Enemies of the Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Ghana (2020, background): “Since fall armyworm is new to Africa, it is not known which local natural enemy species will use it as a host, although a recent report identifies parasitoids found in eastern Africa (Sisay et al. 2018).”