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Behavioural and electroantennographic responses of female fall armyworm moth, Spodoptera frugiperda to maize plant volatiles


Affiliations
1 Department of Agricultural Entomology, Centre for Plant Protection Studies, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641 003, India
2 Division of Crop Protection, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru 560 089, India
3 College of Agricultural Sciences, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur 603 203, India

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a devastating invasive pest recently introduced in India in 2018. The fall army­worm infestation has significantly impacted maize culti­vation in the country. Identifying the host plant volatiles (kairomones) that are attractive to S. frugiperda from its highly preferred host plant, i.e. maize will help developing eco-friendly management strategies against this nefarious pest. Gas chromatography electroantenno­gram detector (GC-EAD) analysis revealed that a total of 18 compounds in maize headspace volatiles and 17 in maize leaf extract elicited an antennal response in female moths of S. frugiperda. Olfactometer bioassays of GC-EAD active plant volatile compounds revealed that heptanoic acid, 2,5-ditert butyl-1,4-benzoquinone and n-hexadecane were the most preferred plant volatile compounds and 50 : 50 ratio blend of heptanoic acid and 2,5-ditert butyl-1,4-benzoquinone was found to be the most attractive kairomone blend for S. frugiperda.

Keywords

Antennal response, fall armyworm, host plant volatiles, insect–plant interaction, maize cultivation.
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  • Behavioural and electroantennographic responses of female fall armyworm moth, Spodoptera frugiperda to maize plant volatiles

Abstract Views: 23  | 

Authors

C. Gargi
Department of Agricultural Entomology, Centre for Plant Protection Studies, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641 003, India
J. S. Kennedy
Department of Agricultural Entomology, Centre for Plant Protection Studies, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641 003, India
P. D. Kamalajayanthi
Division of Crop Protection, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru 560 089, India
T. D. Jayabal
Department of Agricultural Entomology, Centre for Plant Protection Studies, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641 003, India
M. Muthukumar
College of Agricultural Sciences, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur 603 203, India

Abstract


The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a devastating invasive pest recently introduced in India in 2018. The fall army­worm infestation has significantly impacted maize culti­vation in the country. Identifying the host plant volatiles (kairomones) that are attractive to S. frugiperda from its highly preferred host plant, i.e. maize will help developing eco-friendly management strategies against this nefarious pest. Gas chromatography electroantenno­gram detector (GC-EAD) analysis revealed that a total of 18 compounds in maize headspace volatiles and 17 in maize leaf extract elicited an antennal response in female moths of S. frugiperda. Olfactometer bioassays of GC-EAD active plant volatile compounds revealed that heptanoic acid, 2,5-ditert butyl-1,4-benzoquinone and n-hexadecane were the most preferred plant volatile compounds and 50 : 50 ratio blend of heptanoic acid and 2,5-ditert butyl-1,4-benzoquinone was found to be the most attractive kairomone blend for S. frugiperda.

Keywords


Antennal response, fall armyworm, host plant volatiles, insect–plant interaction, maize cultivation.



DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv127%2Fi8%2F963-969