RESUMO: A lagarta-do-cartucho Spodoptera frugiperda Smith, 1797 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) é uma praga polífaga que ocasiona danos em diversos cultivos, e o conhecimento do seu espectro de hospedeiros é essencial para o estabelecimento de estratégias de manejo e controle. Assim, o presente estudo registra pela primeira vez a ocorrência de S. frugiperda em videiras brasileiras. Desse modo, recomenda-se a realização de estudos adicionais em laboratório para compreender os aspectos biológicos e os danos as diferentes estruturas (vegetativas e uvas). Essa informação será essencial para avaliar o potencial de dano de S. frugiperda se alimentando de videiras.

ABSTRACT: The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda Smith, 1797 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a polyphagous pest that causes losses in several crops. The knowledge of host plants is essential for establishing management and control strategies. The present study reported the first occurrence of S. frugiperda in Brazilian grapevines. It is recommended that further studies should be carried out in the laboratory to understand the biological aspects of the damage to different structures (leaves and grapes). This information will be essential to assess the potential of S. frugiperda damage to vines.

RESUMO A murcha-de-fusário, causada por Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, é uma das mais importantes doenças da cultura do tomate no Brasil. Várias alternativas aos fungicidas têm sido avaliadas na busca de produtos que controlem a doença e tenham baixo impacto ambiental e toxicidade aos seres vivos. Nesse contexto, o uso de Trichoderma spp. é uma alternativa a agrotóxicos, pois são biorreguladores e antagonistas de vários fitopatógenos. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a ação antagonista e micoparasitória do biofungicida Trichodermil 1306 em F. oxysporum, e no controle da murcha-de-fusário em sementes e mudas de tomate. O biofungicida foi utilizado nas concentrações de 0, 50, 100 e 150% da dose recomendada para aplicação com pulverizador costal de 20 L. O experimento foi conduzido em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com cinco repetições. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias foram comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a 5% de probabilidade. A concentração de Trichodermil 100% foi a mais eficaz para o tratamento de sementes de tomateiro. Embora essa concentração não tenha se diferenciado da menor dosagem utilizada (50%) para os testes de antagonismo, micoparasitismo e incidência de F. oxysporum em mudas de tomate, sua recomendação se justifica pelo fato da menor concentração ter propiciado protrusão radicular 18% menor do que a observada na concentração de 100%. A ação antagonista e micoparasitória in vitro do fungicida biológico testado no presente estudo indica potencialidade de uso para o controle de murcha-de-fusário em tomateiro.

ABSTRACT Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, is one of the most important diseases of tomato crop in Brazil. Several alternatives to fungicides have been evaluated in search for products that control this disease and have low environmental impact and toxicity to living beings. In this context, the use of Trichoderma spp. is an alternative to agrochemicals, since they are bioregulators and antagonists of several phytopathogens. This work aimed to evaluate the antagonistic and mycoparasitory action of the Trichodermil 1306 biofungicide against F. oxysporum, and its action in the control of fusarium wilt in tomato seeds and seedlings. The biofungicide was used at concentrations of 0, 50, 100, and 150% of the dose recommended for application of 20 L with a backpack sprayer. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with five replications. Data were submitted to analysis of variance and mean compared by Tukey’s test at 5% probability. The 100% Trichodermil concentration was the most efficient for treating tomato seeds. Although this concentration did not show differences in relation to the lowest dose used (50%) in the tomato seed antagonism, mycoparasitism and F. oxysporum incidence tests were recommended because that the lowest concentration resulted in 18% lower root protrusion than that observed with 100% dosage. The in vitro antagonistic and mycoparasitory action of this biological fungicide indicates its potential in the control of fusarium wilt in tomato crops.

ABSTRACT The selectivity of five entomopathogens and a chemical insecticide (positive control) to pupae and adults of the egg parasitoid Telenomus remus (Nixon) was evaluated in the laboratory under controlled environmental conditions according to protocols established by the International Organization for Biological Control. Baculovirus anticarsia (Baculovirus AEE®), Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Thuricide®), Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai (Agree®), Beauveria bassiana (Boveril®), Metarhizium anisopliae (Metarril®) and Trichoderma harzianum (Trichodermil®) are harmless to T. remus pupae, and adults. Thus, our results suggest that the insect control strategies applied here are compatible since entomopathogens were classified as harmless to T. remus in most examined cases and therefore facilitate a joint application to control different pests. Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Dipel®), despite being classified as slightly harmful in some of the evaluations, can still be considered compatible for use together with T. remus, especially when compared with chemical insecticides such as chlorpyrifos that might be considered harmful to the parasitoid survival.

ABSTRACT We evaluated the influence of host preference, mating, and release density on Telenomus remus (Nixon, 1937) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) parasitizing eggs of Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). First, we tested host preference of T. remus (free choice test) offered a choice between eggs of Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton, 1865) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and S. frugiperda. Parasitism capacity and host preference (S. frugiperda) of T. remus reared on either of the two hosts did not differ. Secondly, we evaluated the influence of mating behavior of T. remus females on its parasitism. Only the offspring sex ratio differed between treatments, indicating that the species reproduces by parthenogenesis of the arrhenotoky type. Finally, we evaluated the influence of release density on T. remus parasitism. This was tested by releasing different numbers of the parasitoid per S. frugiperda egg using T. remus reared for different numbers of generations on C. cephalonica eggs. The regression analysis between percentage of parasitism and density of released T. remus females showed a quadratic effect for all tested parasitoid generations (F35, F40, and F45) with maximum parasitism from 65.07% to 71.69%. Our results allow the conclusion that (a) T. remus prefers S. frugiperda eggs, regardless of the host on which this parasitoid was reared, showing no preimaginal conditioning; (b) Mating does not affect the number of eggs parasitized by T. remus or the development of its offspring; and (c) The optimal T. remus release density when reared on C. cephalonica is between 0.133 and 0.150 females/S. frugiperda.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the development and reproduction of the black armyworm, Spodoptera cosmioides when larvae fed on leaves of Bt-corn hybrids, expressing a single Cry1F and also Cry1F, Cry1A.105 and Cry2Ab2 in pyramided corn and their non-Bt-isoline (hybrid 2B688), as well as on leaves of two soybean isolines expressing the Cry1Ac protein and its non-Bt isoline (A5547-227). We also assessed the effect of these Bt and non-Bt plants on the leaf consumption rate of S. cosmioides larvae. This pest was unable to develop when fed on any of the corn isolines (Bt and non-Bt). When both 1st and 3rd instar larvae were fed on corn leaf, mortality was 100% in both Bt and non-Bt corn. In contrast, when corn leaves were offered to 5th instar larvae, there were survivors. Defoliation and leaf consumption was higher with non-Bt corn than with both of the Bt corn isolines. There was no negative effect of Bt soybean leaves on the development and reproduction of S. cosmioides with respect to all evaluated parameters. Our study indicates that both Bt and non-Bt corn adversely affect the development of S. cosmioides while Bt soybean did not affect its biology, suggesting that this lepidopteran has major potential to become an important pest in Bt soybean crops.

ABSTRACT In two independent bioassays, size and flight ability of parasitoids reared on eggs of Corcyra cephalonica for 19 generations and parasitoids reared on a natural host (Spodoptera frugiperda eggs) for 250 generations were compared as fast quality control procedures for insect rearing. The size of parasitoids was examined by morphometric analysis using a stereoscope. Length and width of the wings, right hind tibia, and the body of 20 individuals (males and females) were measured. In the analysis of flight ability, parasitoids were divided into three groups: individuals able to fly ("flyers"), individuals that did not fly but had no visible deformation ("walkers"), and individuals with visible deformation ("deformed"). We observed that parasitoids were larger when reared on the natural host than on the factitious host for all evaluated morphological characters. However, there was no significant difference between the treatments regarding the number of "flyers", "walkers" or "deformed" parasitoids. This indicates that even though the rearing of T. remus on a factitious host affects parasitoid size, it does not necessarily affect its flight ability and therefore suggests that C. cephalonica is suitable as a factitious host for mass rearing of T. remus. Other biological parameters still need to be evaluated, such as host finding ability, parasitism capacity, and parasitoid field efficacy in order to provide a more complete picture of the effects caused by a host change. However, because fast laboratory tests are needed in rearing facilities, the one used in this study might be useful to rapidly assess parasitoid quality.

O número de Telenomus remus a ser liberado pode ser variável, dependendo de cada cultura, da arquitetura da planta e/ou do seu estágio fenológico. Assim, foi examinado o número de parasitoides necessários para obter o controle efetivo de Spodoptera frugiperda em milho, algodão e soja. Em todas as culturas, a resposta do parasitismo em relação ao número crescente de parasitoides teve um efeito quadrático. Em milho, o parasitismo máximo observado foi de 99,8% e 96,8% em um número de parasitoides liberados de 0,231 e 0,264 fêmeas de T. remus por ovo de S. frugiperda nos estádios fenológicos V4 e V10, respectivamente. Diferentemente, em algodão e soja, os maiores parasitismos foram verificados liberando o maior número de fêmeas de T. remus testados (0,297 fêmeas por ovos de S. frugiperda). Em algodão, foi 77,8% e 73,1% nos estágios vegetativo e reprodutivo, respectivamente e, em soja, foi 77,3% e 54,4% também nos estágios vegetativo e reprodutivo. Assim, o número apropriado de T. remus a ser liberado pode variar de acordo com a cultura e com o estágio fenológico da planta, sendo mais elevado para soja e algodão e mais baixo para milho.

Telenomus remus releasing numbers may vary depending on the crop, plant architecture and/or the plant phenological stage. Thus, we examined the number of parasitoids needed for effective pest control of Spodoptera frugiperda on corn, cotton and soybean. In all crops, the parasitism response in relation to increasing numbers of the parasitoids had a quadratic effect. In corn, the maximum parasitism observed was 99.8% and 96.8% at a parasitoid releasing number of 0.231 and 0.264 T. remus females per S. frugiperda egg at phenological stages V4 and V10, respectively. Differently, in cotton and soybean, the highest parasitim were recorded using the highest tested T. remus releasing numbers (0.297 parasitoid per S. frugiperda egg). In cotton, it was 77.8% and 73.1% at the vegetative and reproductive stages, respectively and in soybean, it was 77.3% and 54.4% also at the vegetative and reproductive stages. Thus, the appropriated T. remus releasing number might vary accordingly to the crop and plant phenological stage, being higher for soybean and cotton and lower for corn.