Effect of Noctuidonema guyanense (Nematoda: Acugutturidae) on the Longevity of Feral Male Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Moths2
Noctuidonema guyanense Remillet and Silvain is an ectoparasitic nematode of certain species of adult Lepidoptera, particularly Noctuidae, in the Western Hemisphere. It is transferred to a new host when the insects mate. Survival of infested and uninfested feral adult males of Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), the fall armyworm, was compared at three different temperature regimens (20°C, 30°C, and 30/20°C) at 14:10 L/D at 80% RH. Apparent age differences were controlled by pairing moths having the same amount of scale loss. Overall mean nematode infestations of 239.3 and 0 in infested and uninfested groups produced significantly different mean longevity of 3.7 and 6.2 days, respectively. At 20°C, survival of both groups increased to 6.2 and 13.3 days, but remained significantly different. The results demonstrate a deleterious effect of Noctuidonema infestation on longevity of feral adult male S. frugiperda.
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3e-mail: omarti@tifton.cpes.peachnet.edu
4Deceased 27 June 1997.