Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Parasitoids: Differential Spring Distribution and Incidence on Corn and Sorghum in the Southern United States and Northeastern Mexico

Larval parasitoids and pathogens of the fall armyworm in honduran maize

“…Additionally, our data demonstrate that C. insularis is a consistent biotic mortality factor affecting the host population even during low host densities. This evidence gathered in areas where the host and parasitoid are active year round is in contrast with data collected from northern latitudes (Gross & Pair, 1986 ;Pair et al, 1986) where both species must re-populate each spring. As adults, C. insularis are dependent upon available host populations and may be less mobile than FAW adults.…”

“…As all slope values were less than one, incidence of natural enemy attack did not keep pace caused by parasitoids and pathogens from larvae collected on weeds and maize. In the United States, Pair et al (1986) reported that the highest levels of parasitism were found in the overwintering range of the FAW with lower levels in areas where FAW does not survive winters. Ashley et aL (1982) found 63 % of the first four instar FAW larvae parasitized in south Florida.…”

Survey for Hymenopteran and Dipteran Parasitoids of the Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Chiapas, Mexico

“…Luginbill (1928), and Vickery (1929) indicated that C. insularis was an important parasitoid controlling FAW populations in its overwintering habitats of Florida and Southern Texas. This parasitoid is reported to attack eggs and larvae of noctuids such as F. subterranean, P. saucia, T. ni, H. zea, S. eridania, S. exigua, S. frugiperda, S. ornithogalli, S. praefica, and the pyralids, Loxostege stictidalis (L.), Ephestia eleutella (Hbn), and it is distributed in the US (Ashley et al 1980(Ashley et al , 1982(Ashley et al , 1983Ashley 1986, Butler et al 1982, Pair et al 1986, Andrews 1988, Africa, and Hawaii (Marsh 1978), and Venezuela (Notz 1972). In this survey, C. insularis was found in FAW larvae collected from V2, and V3 corn.…”

“…Percent of parasitism was calculated according Pair et al (1986). Parasitoids were identified using the Manual for Identification of Parasitoids of Agricultural Pests in Central America (Cave 1995) and later submitted to the USDA-ARS Systematic Entomology Laboratory, Beltsville MD for confirmation of the identification.…”

An illustrated key to Neotropical species of the genus Meteorus Haliday (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Euphorinae)

“…The study of the Neotropical fauna has received particular attention in Colombia accounting for 38 species (Aguirre et al 2011), Costa Rica with 21 (Zitani et al 1998; Shaw and Nishida 2005; Barrantes et al 2011) and Ecuador with 18 (Shaw and Jones 2009; Aguirre et al 2010; Jones and Shaw 2012; Aguirre and Shaw 2014a, 2014b). In contrast, several other countries have far fewer species reported: Argentina with six species (Tosquinet 1900; Blanchard 1936; De Santis 1967; Luna and Sanchez 1999), Mexico with three (Marsh 1979; Pair et al 1986; Molina-Ochoa et al 2001), Brazil, Chile, Honduras, Nicaragua each with two (Porter 1926; Muesebeck 1939; Muesebeck 1958; Artigas 1972; Maes 1989; Gladstone 1991; Cave 1993), and Bermuda, Panama, Peru and Venezuela each with one (Ashmead 1889; Muesebeck 1939, 1967; Hilburn et al 1990; De Huiza 1994). It seems likely that future exploration across the neotropics will yield many more new species of this genus.…”