Impact of white goosefoot, sunflower, wheat, and soybean on the developmental and fecundity performance of the beet webworm, <i>Loxostege sticticalis</i> (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

The beet webworm Loxostege sticticalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is an invasive and polyphagous pest, posing a severe threat to food security, agriculture, and animal production. In this study, we examined the biological parameters of L. sticticalis on four host plants: white goosefoot, Chenopodium album (Caryophyllales: Amaranthaceae), sunflower, Helianthus annuus L (Asterales: Compositae), wheat, Triticum aestivum L (Poales: Poaceae), and soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. (Fabales: Fabales). Our research found that, compared with white goosefoot, sunflowers, and wheat significantly lengthened larval development time. Additionally, adults feeding on sunflowers, wheat, and soybeans exhibited reduced egg-laying and oviposition periods. After feeding on wheat, key population parameters of the insect, including net reproductive rate (R0), intrinsic growth rate (r), and mean generation time (T), declined markedly. However, parameters r and λ still indicated positive population growth. These findings demonstrate the impact of different host plants on the biology of L. sticticalis and highlight the potential risks to its survival and spread when feeding on various hosts. They provide valuable information for pest monitoring and the development of control strategies.