Telenomus remus, a Candidate Parasitoid for the Biological Control of Spodoptera frugiperda in Africa, is already Present on the Continent

Kenis, M and du Plessis, H and Van den Berg, J and Ba, M N and Goergen, G and Kwadjo, K and Baoua, I and Tefera, T and Buddie, A and Cafà, G and Offord, L and Rwomushana, I and Polaszek, A (2019) Telenomus remus, a Candidate Parasitoid for the Biological Control of Spodoptera frugiperda in Africa, is already Present on the Continent. Insects (TSI), 10 (4) (92). pp. 1-10. ISSN 2075-4450

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Abstract

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, a moth originating from tropical and subtropical America, has recently become a serious pest of cereals in sub-Saharan Africa. Biological control offers an economically and environmentally safer alternative to synthetic insecticides that are being used for the management of this pest. Consequently, various biological control options are being considered, including the introduction of Telenomus remus, the main egg parasitoid of S. frugiperda in the Americas, where it is already used in augmentative biological control programmes. During surveys in South, West, and East Africa, parasitized egg masses of S. frugiperda were collected, and the emerged parasitoids were identified through morphological observations and molecular analyses as T. remus. The presence of T. remus in Africa in at least five countries provides a great opportunity to develop augmentative biological control methods and register the parasitoid against S. frugiperda. Surveys should be carried out throughout Africa to assess the present distribution of T. remus on the continent, and the parasitoid could be re-distributed in the regions where it is absent, following national and international regulations. Classical biological control should focus on the importation of larval parasitoids from the Americas.

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	Research Program : West & Central Africa
CRP:	UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords:	biological control; egg parasitism; fall armyworm; invasive species; maize; Spodoptera frugiperda; Telenomus remus
Subjects:	Others > Fall Armyworm Others > Pest Management Others > Maize Others > Entomology Others > African Agriculture
Depositing User:	Mr Ramesh K
Date Deposited:	03 Sep 2019 05:57
Last Modified:	04 Sep 2019 06:37
URI:	http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/11270
Official URL:	https://doi.org/10.3390/insects10040092
Projects:	UNSPECIFIED
Funders:	UNSPECIFIED
Acknowledgement:	This study was financially supported by the Department for International Development (DFID), UK and the Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS), Netherlands through CABI’s Action on Invasives Programme. The Maize Trust contributed to funding of field surveys of S. frugiperda in South Africa. The sample collection in Kenya was supported by funds from USAID Feed the Future IPM Innovation Lab, Virginia Tech (AID-OAA-L-15-00001) and in Benin by the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Links:	Google Scholar

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