REDUCING RELIANCE ON ARTIFICIAL DIETS: BIOECONOMIC NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES FOR MAINTAINING SPODOPTERA LITTORALIS (BOISD.) (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE) COLONIES

The Egyptian cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis, is a widely distributed polyphagous species that attacks several economically important host plants. Laboratory colonies of this species have been vital for pest management research, with more recent applications emerging in the context of sustainable food systems. Current reliance on artificial diets for colony maintenance is expensive and environmentally unsustainable. In this study, alternative bioeconomic dietary strategies are investigated using dandelion leaves (D) and unsold market vegetables (beetroot and potato mix, BP) as substitutes for the standard artificial diet (S). Over five generations, key life history parameters, including larval duration, survival, final instar weight, pupation success, adult emergence, and fecundity, were monitored under controlled laboratory conditions. The results showed that larvae fed on D exhibited the shortest development time, highest survival rates, and superior fecundity compared to those reared on other diets. The BP diet supported performance comparable to the artificial diet. These findings show that alternative diets can sustain S. littoralis colonies, enhance certain biological traits, and offer a cost-effective, sustainable approach to insect farming.