International Journal of Pest Management (2021) 67, 252-259

Faheem Ahmad, Shafqat Saeed, Ting Chen and Qamar Saeed (2021)
Lifetable analysis of Spodoptera exigua Hübner on alternate hosts from cotton agroecosystem for estimating annual population build-up
International Journal of Pest Management 67 (3), 252-259
Abstract: Understanding the population growth patterns of Spodoptera exigua on alternate host plants can provide valuable information for developing an effective pest management program. In this study, using age-specific lifetable indices, we evaluated the role of alternate crops commonly found in cotton agroecosystem of Pakistan to better understand population dynamics of S. exigua. The longest larval and pupal periods (16.35 and 9.95 days, respectively) were observed on spinach, while the shortest periods were recorded on okra (13 days) and cauliflower (8.4 days), respectively. Relatively more female moths (61%) were produced on spinach with low r_m (0.095) and λ (1.0997) while highest r_m (0.120) and λ (1.1278) was on cotton. In conclusion, S. exigua use spinach for initial population build-up in the field, adopting an aggressive reproductive strategy, while castor may be utilized for dispersal as more males eclosed and dispersed to mate in the fields.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Spodoptera exigua	Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)	Pakistan
	Spodoptera exigua	Cotton (Gossypium)	Pakistan