Koinobiont parasitism and biology of braconid parasitoid on invasive fall armyworm s podoptera frugiperda (j.e. smith) in controlled conditions

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a major invasive highly destruvtive insect pests causing substantial losses in maize and other crops across the world. The native parasitoid egg-larval parasitoid species, such as Chelonus spp. is prominent natural enemy of this pest. The natural control of S. frugiperda may achieved by parasitoids be able to strong tool. The present study evaluated the biology and parasitism compared the life cycles and effectiveness of two parasitoid wasps, Chelonus formosanus and Chelonus blackburni , S. frugiperda under a laboratory conditions (26 ± 2 °C, 75 ± 5% RH, and 12:12 h L). The key developmental durations for were as follows an incubation period of 24.27 and 24.64 h, a total larval period of 17.55 and 18.55 days and a pupal period of 10.27 and 11.09 days, respectively. These results presented that the total development time period was 27.82 days for C. formosanus and 29.65 days for C. blackburni . Adult females laid approximately 192 and 199 eggs on S. frugiperda eggs per female and while an adult female longevity was lived for about 6.0 and 6.6 days, respectively. Adult males lived for roughly 4.2 and 4.6 days, respectively. The parasitism potential was also evaluated. Following exposure, parasitized host exhibited pupation rates of 66.2% of hosts parasitized by C. formosanus and 59.6% parasitized by C. blackburni reached the pupation stage. Whereas, the successful emergence rate of adult wasps from these pupae was 63.8% and 52.4% for C. formosanus and 52.4% for C. blackburni , respectively. The results indicate that C. formosanus performed better than C. blackburni and may serve as a promising biological control agent against S. frugiperda . The results indicate that C. formosanus demonstrated better that C. blackburni as a biological control agent against S. frugiperda under the tested conditions.