Natural enemies of Spodoptera frugiperda J.E Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on corn plants in West Sumatera

Abstract

One of the harmful pests that attack corn plants in Indonesia is Spodoptera frugiperda. This invasive insect was detected in the West Pasaman district in 2019. Outbreaks of S. frugiperda have spread to nearly every region of Indonesia. There have been no reports of natural enemies of S. frugiperda in West Sumatera. The study’s objectives were to count the number of S. frugiperda individuals in each location and to identify the natural enemies. The research was conducted in West Pasaman, Padang Pariaman, Tanah Datar, and Limapuluh Kota as centers of corn cultivation from March to August 2021. Sampling was done in four districts by selecting three sub-districts in each district, then two villages in the sub-district. Sampling was carried out by purposive random sampling, and larvae were taken only during the vegetative phase of corn plants. To get natural enemies, parasitoids, nematodes, and entomopathogens were obtained from larvae reared in the laboratory. For predators with direct observation if found preying on S. frugiperda. The results showed that S.frugiperda had a different number of individuals in West Sumatra. Coccinellidae predators, entomopathogenic fungi, nematode parasites, and parasitoids were found in the field. Microplitis sp. was a common parasitoid found in almost all districts, with a parasitization rate of 5.91%.