Fall Armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in South Kivu, DR Congo: Understanding How Season and Environmental Conditions Influence Field Scale Infestations

Cokola, Marcellin Cuma; Mugumaarhahama, Yannick; Noël, Grégoire; Kazamwali, Léon Muzee; Bisimwa, Espoir B.; Mugisho, Janvier Zirhumana; Aganze, Victoire M.; Lubobo, Antoine Kanyenga; Francis, Frédéric

doi:10.1007/s13744-020-00833-3

Cited by 12 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Studies with Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner, 1808; Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) showed that places with high RH and temperature must have greater population pressure in the host crops of this pest (Huang and Hao 2020). A similar trend was observed for Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith; Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), which invaded Africa recently, especially in regions such as Democratic Republic of Congo (Cokola et al 2021). The influence of weather on the infestation in different seasons was observed with the highest infestation under conditions of high temperature and high evapotranspiration, favoring an increase in the number of generations per year (Cokola et al 2021).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

Unraveling the effect of temperature and humidity on the life cycle of Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and the impact on pest outbreaks

Carbognin,

Benedito,

Ferreira

et al. 2023

Environmental Entomology

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Temperature and humidity are considered the main abiotic factors that affect both the development and survival of ectothermic organisms. In this study, we estimated the development time as well as the thermal requirements of the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius, 1794; Lepidoptera: Crambidae), a key insect pest of sugarcane and discussed the influence of temperature and relative humidity and its infestation intensity in a scenario of climate change. The models Brière-1 and Ikemoto-Takai provided the best fit to the data of development rate versus temperature. The average life cycle (from egg to adult) ranged from 39.21 ± 4.84 at 32 °C to 137.10 ± 7.47 at 18 °C days. The thermal constant and average base temperature were 547.69 degree-days and 13.64 °C, respectively. The number of larval instars varied from 4 to 7 depending on the temperature, being higher at lower temperatures. The thermal range comprised the interval from 16.7 °C to 33.9 °C and the optimum temperature was estimated as 27.4 °C. Locations with elevated temperature (≥25 °C) and high relative humidity (≥70%) presented larger populations of D. saccharalis. Our findings show that the infestation pressure of this species is highly influenced by both temperature and humidity, and the studied models allow to forecast pest outbreaks. In the context of climate change, information about the thermal range and the optimum temperature contributes to predicting the spatial-temporal distribution of D. saccharalis and, consequently, aids decision making in pest management.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

Unraveling the effect of temperature and humidity on the life cycle of Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and the impact on pest outbreaks

Carbognin,

Benedito,

Ferreira

et al. 2023

Environmental Entomology

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“…Accordingly, 14 fields were investigated in Kamanyola during the period between February and June 2021 versus 17 in Kabare during the period between December 2019 and May 2021 and 8 in Kalehe in December 2019. The W-sampling technique was used in each field to identify and collect cadavers from maize plants (Cokola et al 2021a). Sampling was targeting FAW cadavers with and without symptoms of fungal infection.…”

Section: Sampling Sites and Collection Of Cadaversmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At least, one study in Africa (Withers et al 2022) and some others in Asia (Acharya et al 2022) presented instead the occurrence of M. rileyi on FAW populations under natural conditions. However, this information remained unknown in DR Congo, where FAW was reported as a maize pest before being officially reported in Africa in 2016 (Cokola et al 2021a). Currently, it is relevant to analyze the multi-trophic interactions involving EPF, insect pest, maize plant and beneficial natural enemies.…”

Section: Molecular Identification Of Beauveria Bassiana Isolatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Natural occurrence of Beauveria bassiana (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) infecting Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and earwig in eastern DR Congo

Cokola,

Ben Fekih,

Bisimwa

et al. 2023

Egypt J Biol Pest Control

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Background The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), poses a threat to the food security of populations in sub-Saharan Africa because of its damage to maize crops. As alternative to the use of hazardous pesticides, microbial control is one of the most promising sustainable approaches adopted to limit the damages caused by S. frugiperda. The sampling targeted mainly larvae of S. frugiperda; however, during the survey, cadavers of earwig found on the same sampling sites were also collected and involved in the study. Cadavers of targeted insects, with and without sign of fungal infection, were sampled from 3 localities in eastern DR Congo. Culture of fungal isolates was performed in selective Sabouraud dextrose agar media. Results Morphological study of fungal features such as conidia (shape and size) and conidiophores showed that the isolates were from the genus Beauveria. Conidial measurements were highly variable and ranged from 2.4 to 3.6 µm in length and from 1.75 to 3.0 µm in width. Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the 2 Beauveria isolates based on DNA sequencing of ITS-5.8S region confirmed that both isolates belong to Beauveria bassiana. The 2 isolates of B. bassiana P5E (OP419735.1) and KA14 (OP419734.1) were isolated from cadavers of FAW and earwig, respectively. The alignment with different sequences of B. bassiana from different continent showed that P5E belonged to the same clade of previous isolates reported from Iran and Mexico, while KA14 was with the same clade as isolates from Kenya and China. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the occurrence of B. bassiana infecting FAW and earwig in eastern DR Congo and in Africa.

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“…In almost 4 years, this devastating pest has invaded 3 continents, starting in Africa and extending to Oceania (CABI, 2021). With a preference for Poaceae, this caterpillar pest mainly attacks maize (Cokola et al, 2021a; Rwomushana et al, 2018). Nevertheless, in its native region, it can establish more than 350 plant species, of which 80 are commonly cultivated plants such as maize, sorghum, rice, or cotton (Montezano et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): Experience from smallholder farmers in central and western Africa

Cokola,

Van Den Bussche,

Noël

et al. 2023

Food and Energy Security

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The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is currently an important pest of maize crops worldwide not only because of its dispersal ability but also because of its polyphagous feeding behaviour. Lack of sufficient information on the management of the fall armyworm attacks remains a crucial problem for maize smallholder farmers in Africa. In this study, 420 farmers were surveyed in central and west Africa using individual interviews to assess farmers' knowledges and perceptions of the fall armyworm damages and the management practices used. Most farmers (99.4%) were shown to recognize the fall armyworm and 92.5% claimed to already have damages in their fields. The fall armyworm seems not to be a new pest as most farmers identified it in different countries from 2015 to 2019. Apart from maize as the preferred crop of S. frugiperda, several alternative host plants including Napier grass, sorghum, onion, and cabbage were identified by the farmers. Although cultural and mechanical control methods are used by several farmers, the synthetic pesticide market is still preferred by almost half of the farmers (44.28%) who still use them. To control fall armyworm, 96.4% in Burkina Faso, 85.3% in Gabon, 65.2% in Benin and 25% in DR Congo reported using insecticides, against 5.9% in Senegal. Semiochemical‐based method and biological control by promoting natural enemies of the fall armyworm are new concepts for farmers in DR Congo, Gabon and Benin. To avoid additional problems regarding health and resilience of agricultural systems, alternative methods such as push–pull approach, the development of biopesticides and resistant cultivars should form the basis of training given to farmers and should be popularized for sustainable control of the fall armyworm in central and west Africa.

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Fall Armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in South Kivu, DR Congo: Understanding How Season and Environmental Conditions Influence Field Scale Infestations

Cited by 12 publications

References 40 publications

Unraveling the effect of temperature and humidity on the life cycle of Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and the impact on pest outbreaks

Unraveling the effect of temperature and humidity on the life cycle of Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and the impact on pest outbreaks

Natural occurrence of Beauveria bassiana (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) infecting Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and earwig in eastern DR Congo

Managing fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): Experience from smallholder farmers in central and western Africa

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