Occurrence of entomopathogens of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in the Mexican states of Michoacan, Colima, Jalisco and Tamaulipas

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (FAW) larvae and soil samples were collected from corn and sorghum fields in the Mexican states of Michoacán, Colima, and Jalisco during August 1998. Additional FAW larvae were collected from a sorghum field in Tamaulipas, Mexico in September. A total of 2219 FAW larvae from 20 locations and 76 soil samples from 19 locations were examined for indigenous FAW biological control agents. Four species of entomopathogenic fungi representing two classes, Zygomycetes (Entomophthorales) and Hyphomycetes ( Beauveria bassiana, Nomuraea rileyi, and Hirsutella sp.) were recovered from 43 (1.94%) of FAW larvae. An unidentified microsporidian was collected from 32 (1.44%) of FAW larvae, 29 from Colima, 2 from Jalisco, and 1 from Michoacán. Forty nine larvae (2.21%) parasitized by mermithid nematodes were collected in the state of Colima. Two (0.09%) larvae infected with ascovirus were collected in Tamaulipas. Three species of Hyphomycetes ( Paecilomyces fumosoroesus, B. bassiana, and Metarhizium anisopliae) were isolated from soil samples using Galleria mellonella larval traps. Entomopathogenic nematodes ( Steinernema sp. and Heterorhabditis sp.) were recovered from soil samples from 5 of 19 localities using Galleria mellonella larval traps. Bacillus thuringiensis was isolated from soil samples from 12 locations. The most widely distributed microbial control agent on FAW larvae in the Western Coast of Mexico was the fungus N. rileyi, and from soil were the bacterium B. thuringiensis and steinernematid nematodes. The microsporidian was found predominantly in Colima and the mermithid nematodes only in Colima. Thus, Colima had the highest total percent mortality (9.67%) due to fungi, microsporidia and mermithids.