Abstract
Understanding the interactions between plant-host-parasitoid plays a major role in insect pest management. Farmers in the southeastern United States rely on pasture systems for cattle milk and beef production, but the benefits of parasitoids and predators on major lepidopteran pests on pasture lands are still overlooked. Here, we aimed to identify and quantify the effect of parasitism on the true armyworm Mythimna unipuncta (Haworth, 1809) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) attacking teff grass Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter (Poaceae) and crabgrass Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop. (Poaceae) in western Kentucky. In early August of 2023, 547 larvae of M. unipuncta were collected from experimental plots of teff, crabgrass, and the adjacent clover field. Larvae were weighed, and the number of attached tachinid eggs was recorded. The highest infestation of M. unipuncta was found on teff grass (34 ± 6 larvae/m2). We found 11 insect species of four families associated with the true armyworm, including parasitoids (n = 7), hyperparasitoids (2), and predators (2). The incidence (%) of parasitoid species was dominated by Winthemia rufopicta Bigot, 1889 (Diptera: Tachinidae) (91%), followed by Glyptapanteles militaris (Walsh, 1861) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) (3%). The highest mortality of M. unipuncta was observed in larvae collected from crabgrass and teff grass samples (94% and 89%, respectively). This study underpins the importance of natural biocontrol on key pests and expands our understanding of multiparasitism on M. unipuncta in forage grasses of western Kentucky, showing that their collective impact can suppress the populations of noctuids in teff and crabgrass systems. Our results contribute to the basics of integrated pest management in forage systems.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Infestation of true armyworm larvae was highest on teff grass (34 ± 6 larvae/m2)
- Taxon
- teff grasse0
- Interactor
- M. unipuncta
Mythimna unipunctae0pest - Outcome
- infestatione0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 34 ± 6 larvae/m2e0
Not reportedSetting
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the highest infestation of M. unipuncta was found on teff grass (34 ± 6 larvae/m2)”
Claim · model-written summary
Eleven insect species of four families were associated with the true armyworm in forage crops
Verbatim
e0“We found 11 insect species of four families associated with the true armyworm”
t0“in forage crops”
Claim · model-written summary
Winthemia rufopicta was the dominant parasitoid of the true armyworm with 91% incidence in forage crops
- Taxon
- forage cropst0
- Interactor
- Winthemia rufopictaWinthemia rufopictae0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- incidence (%) of parasitoid speciese0
- Value
- 91%e0
Verbatim
e0“The incidence (%) of parasitoid species was dominated by Winthemia rufopicta Bigot, 1889 (Diptera: Tachinidae) (91%)”
t0“in forage crops”
Claim · model-written summary
Glyptapanteles militaris was a parasitoid of the true armyworm with 3% incidence in forage crops
Verbatim
e0“followed by Glyptapanteles militaris (Walsh, 1861) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) (3%)”
e1“The incidence (%) of parasitoid species was dominated by Winthemia rufopicta Bigot, 1889”
t0“in forage crops”
Claim · model-written summary
True armyworm larvae collected from crabgrass had the highest mortality (94%)
- Taxon
- crabgrasse0
- Interactor
- M. unipunctaMythimna unipunctae0pest
- Outcome
- mortalitye0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 94%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The highest mortality of M. unipuncta was observed in larvae collected from crabgrass and teff grass samples (94% and 89%, respectively)”
Claim · model-written summary
True armyworm larvae collected from teff grass had the highest mortality (89%)
- Taxon
- teff grasse0
- Interactor
- M. unipunctaMythimna unipunctae0pest
- Outcome
- mortalitye0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 89%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The highest mortality of M. unipuncta was observed in larvae collected from crabgrass and teff grass samples (94% and 89%, respectively)”
Claim · model-written summary
The collective impact of natural enemies can suppress noctuid populations in teff and crabgrass systems
Verbatim
e0“showing that their collective impact can suppress the populations of noctuids in teff and crabgrass systems”