403104

Semi-Artificial Diet Without Agar as A New Approach with Low Cost for Rearing the Cotton Leafworm and the Fall Armyworm as Lepidopteran Insect Pests

Article

Last updated: 09 Apr 2025

Subjects

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Tags

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Abstract

The cotton leafworm (CLW), Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and the fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), inflicting significant economic harm by consuming the majority of Egypt's crops. An economical, semi-artificial diet devoid of agar was required to facilitate ongoing biological study on these pests to mitigate their expansion. The survival parameters of the two pests were analyzed during three successive generations on a standard diet of fresh castor bean leaves, Ricinus communis L., and a novel experimental diet. Acquiring data that effectively substantiates the technique will facilitate its development into a feasible strategy for managing pest lepidopterans. The expense to grow 1000 newly hatched CLW and FAW larvae to the pupation stage using artificial feeding components is 33 L.E., around $0.70. This is approximately 80% more economical than agar-based alternatives. This technique facilitates future research on more cost-effective gelling chemicals for growing lepidopteran insect pests, hence simplifying the study and manipulation of these insects

DOI

10.21608/eajbsz.2025.403104

Keywords

Spodoptera littoralis, Spodoptera frugiperda, artificial diet, mass rearing, insect biology, nutrition

Authors

First Name

Hanan

Last Name

Alfy

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Field Crop Pests Department, Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt.

Email

alfyhanan@gmail.com

City

Egypt

Orcid

0000000200427122

First Name

Marian

Last Name

Malak

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Biological and Geological Sciences Department, Faculty of Education, Alexandria, Egypt.

Email

marian.malak@alexu.edu.eg

City

Alexandria.

Orcid

-

Volume

17

Article Issue

1

Related Issue

52817

Issue Date

2025-06-01

Receive Date

2024-11-28

Publish Date

2025-01-10

Page Start

1

Page End

13

Print ISSN

2090-0759

Online ISSN

2090-0821

Link

https://eajbsz.journals.ekb.eg/article_403104.html

Detail API

http://journals.ekb.eg?_action=service&article_code=403104

Order

403,104

Type

Original Article

Type Code

672

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences, B. Zoology

Publication Link

https://eajbsz.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Semi-Artificial Diet Without Agar as A New Approach with Low Cost for Rearing the Cotton Leafworm and the Fall Armyworm as Lepidopteran Insect Pests

Details

Type

Article

Created At

07 Jan 2025