The sex pheromone of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from Argentina

PERUSSET, SERGIO ANDRÉS; PRETTI, JOAQUÍN; BORDON, VICENTE; VERA, MARTÍN; JACOBI, CRISTINA; CASMUZ, AUGUSTO; ZINOLA, GIANA; ROSENBROCK, AUGUSTO; SANTONI, LEOPOLDO; IBARRA BOUZADA, LUCÍA; DA RIVA, ELEONORA; GALVAN, TEDERSON; GONZALEZ, ANDRES; MURÚA, MARÍA GABRIELA; GUERENSTEIN, PABLO

Conferencia; IPM strategies for Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda Smith) management; 2022

Zambia Agricultural Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture (Zambia), World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Southern African Development Community (SADC) Plant protection committee (FAO)- Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation

The sex pheromone of Spodoptera frugiperda has been studied in different regions of the world and it has been established that there is both quantitative (proportion of compounds) and qualitative (identity of compounds) geographical variability in its composition. The objective of this work was to study the composition of the sex pheromone of S. frugiperda in different regions of Argentina, and to test in the field the attraction of synthetic versions of this pheromone to understand the role of its constituents. This knowledge could improve the attraction of males to traps baited with synthetic pheromone, for monitoring. Thus, extracts of pheromone glands from females 3-6 days post-emergence were made for three regions (N=7-9 for each region, 10 glands/extract). The extracts were analyzed using GC-MS and electroantennography using male antennae, to study the identity and bioactivity of the pheromone constituents. For field trials, baited wet traps were used in corn fields. In each region, 4 experimental treatments, negative control without pheromone, andpositive control with a commercial bait (ChemTica-Internacional-S.A.) were tested (N=6 replicates in each region). The sex pheromone composition of the females from different regions of Argentina did not differ qualitatively from each other but did differ from the composition found in nearby countries. Quantitative variations between regions were also found. Field trials demonstrated the biological importance of all compounds tested. However, the traps with commercial bait captured more insects than the experimental treatments. Funding: PFIP2017(COFECyT-MINCYT-Argentina)/Provivi-Inc./ChemTica-Internacional-S.A./PICT2020-SERIEA-02986-FONCyT-Argentina.