Feeding and Growth Response of Fall Armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) towards Different Host Plants
by
, , , and
Muhammad Saqib Ajmal
1, 
Sajjad Ali
1,*,
Aftab Jamal
2
,
Muhammad Farhan Saeed
3
,
Emanuele Radicetti
4
and
Stefano Civolani
4,* 
1
Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
2
Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Crop Production Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar 25130, Pakistan
3
Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Vehari 61100, Pakistan
4
Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Borsari 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Insects 2024, 15(10), 789; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15100789
Submission received: 29 July 2024
/
Revised: 7 October 2024
/
Accepted: 8 October 2024
/
Published: 10 October 2024
(This article belongs to the Section Insect Pest and Vector Management)
Simple Summary
The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is a polyphagous insect pest. The host plants influence the feeding of herbivorous insects, which affects their growth and development. To determine the effect of the nutrient and mineral contents of different host plants (castor bean, cotton, maize, okra, cabbage, and sugarcane) on the growth and development of S. frugiperda, feeding indices and biological parameters were calculated. The tested host plants significantly differed in their nutritional and mineral chemistry. The feeding indices on these host plants showed a significant difference. In the present study, the maximum larval growth, pupal length, pupal weight, and feeding indices were recorded in S. frugiperda larvae that fed on maize and castor bean leaves. It indicated that suitable nutrients were found in maize and castor bean plants for S. frugiperda. The outcome can help in devising effective management for S. frugiperda.
Abstract
The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is a major migratory polyphagous insect pest of various crops. The essential nutrient and mineral profile of the host plants determines the feeding fitness of herbivorous insects. As a result, the growth and development of insects is affected. To determine the effect of the nutrient and mineral profile of different host plants (maize, castor bean, cotton, cabbage, okra, and sugarcane) on the growth and development of S. frugiperda, biological parameters like larval weight, pupal weight (male/female), and feeding and growth indices were calculated. The proximate compositions such as crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre, and ash and mineral contents of the tested host plants showed significant differences (p < 0.05). The feeding indices on these host plants also differed significantly (p < 0.05). The maximum relative growth rate (RGR), relative consumption rate (RCR), and consumption index (CI) were recorded in S. frugiperda larvae that fed on maize and castor bean leaves. The crude protein, dry matter, and ash contents in maize and castor bean were significantly higher and positively correlated with the RGR and RCR of S. frugiperda larvae. The larval, male and female pupal weights were the maximum in the larvae feeding on the castor bean host plant. These findings provide novel information based on nutritional ecology to develop sustainable integrated pest management strategies using selective crop rotation.
