Biology of Spodoptera eridania and Spodoptera cosmioides (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on different host plants
Keywords:
insect-plant interactions, food preference, oviposition preference, feeding behavior, host susceptibility, polyphagous pest adaptation,Abstract
The moths Spodoptera eridania (Stoll) and Spodoptera cosmioides (Walker) are pests of increasing importance in various grain production systems, causing defoliation and damage to reproductive structures of plants. This fact underscores the need for studies that analyze the nutrition and development of pests on different hosts. The objective of this study was to evaluate the development of S. eridania and S. cosmioides feeding on different host species. To this end, newly hatched larvae were separated individually into waxed cups and fed soybean, cotton, maize, wheat, oat leaves, or an artificial diet as control. The evaluated parameters were: duration of larval, pre-pupal, and pupal development (days), pupal weight (g), sex ratio (%), larvae-adult survival (%), oviposition preference, larval feeding performance, and weight gain on different hosts. Soybean and cotton were found to be more suitable hosts for development and oviposition of S. eridania and S. cosmioides than oat, wheat, and maize, all of which negatively affected larval development and survival. The maize cultivar ‘DKB 390’ did not allow for larvae to develop to adults and therefore proved to be inadequate for both studied Spodoptera species.
Resumen
Spodoptera eridania (Stoll) y Spodoptera cosmioides (Walker) son plagas de creciente importancia en diferentes sistemas de producción de granos, causan daños a las estructuras reproductivas de las plantas y defoliación. Esto realza la necesidad de estudios que evalúen su desarrollo y nutrición en diferentes huéspedes. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el desarrollo de S. eridania y S. cosmioides alimentándose de diferentes plantas huéspedes y de dieta artificial. Larvas recién nacidas se separaron individualmente en vasos de cartón encerados y se alimentaron con folíolos de soja, algodón, maíz, trigo, avena, o con dieta artificial. Los parámetros evaluados fueron: duración (días) de las fases larval, de prepupas y pupas, peso de pupas (g), proporción de sexos (%), supervivencia de larva a adulto (%), preferencia de oviposición, rendimiento nutricional de las larvas y aumento de peso en diferentes huéspedes. Los substratos soja y algodón fueron mejores huéspedes que avena, trigo y maíz para el desarrollo y oviposición de S. eridania y S. cosmioides. La alimentación sobre gramíneas afectó negativamente el desarrollo larval y la supervivencia. El maíz ‘DKB 390’ no permitió la formación de adultos, y este cultivar resultó ser inadecuado para ambas especies de Spodoptera.
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