Growth and Development of Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Selected Grasses

Abstract

The developmental responses of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), initially reared on each of four selected grasses for 4, 6, or 8 days and transferred to each of the other grasses were studied in the laboratory. Corn, Zea mays L., was the most suitable host, favoring a rapid weight gain, short development period, and low mortality for larvae and pupae. Development of fall armyworm previously fed on preferred host grasses, ‘Tifton 10’ and ‘Coastal’ Bermuda grass, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., was primarily dependent on the suitability of the host grass to which the larvae were transferred. The most hardy fall armyworm larvae were those selected by 8-day feeding on resistant ‘common’ centipede grass, Eremochola ophiuroides (Munro) Hack., in that these hardy individuals developed more rapidly once they were transferred to susceptible grasses. Overall, resistance of centipede grass to fall armyworm was demonstrated whether neonate larvae fed initially on centipede grass or were transferred to the host as older larvae.