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3 May 2024 Performance and preference of larval parasitoid, Microplitis pallidipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), on 2 Spodoptera pest species
Wei Xu, Baoqian Lyu, Sanqiang Yan, Yaoyao Song, Jihong Tang, Xiaojuan Zhou, Chongtian Wang
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Abstract

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) are the main pests on corn (Poaceae: Gramineae). The performance of the larval wasp, Microplitis pallidipes Szépligeti (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), was reported on S. frugiperda and S. litura. In this study, we evaluated host selectivity, constructed an age–stage, 2-sex life table, and assessed the pest control potential of M. pallidipes against these 2 pests under laboratory conditions. In a 2-choice host preference experiment, M. pallidipes exhibited a stronger preference for S. frugiperda over S. litura and a distinct preference for second instars. We also investigated the parasitism of females that were either unfed or fed with 10% honey–water solution under different host densities and found that the highest parasitism rate was observed when M. pallidipes were fed with honey–water solution on the first day after mating and a presented female wasp:host ratio of 1:90. In a nonselective assay, M. pallidipes successfully completed a full generation on both hosts. However, the parasitoids exhibited higher fitness and population growth potential when reared on S. frugiperda, with a net reproductive rate (R0) of 24.24, an intrinsic rate of increase (r) of 0.20 per day, a finite rate of increase (λ) of 1.23 per day, and a mean generation time (T) of 15.69 days. This study elucidates the performance of M. pallidipes on 2 Spodoptera host species and offers insights into its biological control potential on lepidopteran pests.

Graphical Abstract

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Wei Xu, Baoqian Lyu, Sanqiang Yan, Yaoyao Song, Jihong Tang, Xiaojuan Zhou, and Chongtian Wang "Performance and preference of larval parasitoid, Microplitis pallidipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), on 2 Spodoptera pest species," Journal of Economic Entomology 117(3), 673-682, (3 May 2024). https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toae087
Received: 11 October 2023; Accepted: 13 April 2024; Published: 3 May 2024
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KEYWORDS
host selectivity
life table
parasitoid
pest control
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