Does Megaselia scalaris (Diptera: Phoridae) have potential as a biological control agent of fall armyworm?
Abstract
Megaselia scalaris (Diptera: Phoridae) has been recovered from Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and it has been identified as a possible biological control agent. However, in laboratory tests M. scalaris preferred to develop as saprophagous on a meridic diet (84.3%), and secondly as necrophagous of dead larvae (12.7%). Its development as an endoparasitoid occurred in 2.2 and 0.7% in third and fifth instar larvae, respectively. This suggests that it has no potential as a biological control agent for S. frugiperda.
Sumario
Megaselia scalaris (Diptera: Phoridae) se ha recuperado de Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), y se señaló como un posible agente de control biológico. Sin embargo, en pruebas de laboratorio M. scalaris prefirió desarrollarse como saprófago de una dieta merídica (84.3%), y en segundo lugar como necrófago en larvas muertas (12.7%). Su desarrollo como endoparasitoide sucedió en 2.2 y 0.7% en larvas de tercer y quinto ínstar, respectivamente. Esto sugiere que no tiene potencial como agente de control biológico de S. frugiperda.
Key Words: Spodoptera frugiperda; necrophagous insect; Zea mays; scuttle fly
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