BIOLOGY OF THE GENUS SPECIES COMPLEX SPODOPTERA GUENEE (LEP: NOCTUIDAE) AFFECTING THE SOYBEAN CROP IN TUCUMAN.

GABRIELA ACOSTA; M. GABRIELA MURÚA; ALEJANDRO VERA; NAVARRO, FERNANDO

San Miguel de Tucumán

Jornada; Jornadas de Biología; 2003

The genus Spodoptera Guenée (Noctuidae: Xyleninae) has six species in Argentina, whose larvae are polyphagous, attacking a wide variety of crops including soybean. According plantings and production, this crop is considered the most important in Argentina. In the past two years, larvae of Spodoptera species were detected causing significant damage on soybean crops in Tucumán, because of this, it is necessary to know its biology to implement control measures. The aim of this study was to identify the species of the genus Spodoptera present in soybean crops in Tucumán, through the comparative study of their life cycles and morphological characters. The species detected were: S. frugiperda, S. albula, S. eridania and S. cosmiodes. Given the duration of the life cycle, significant differences were detected between species. S. albula presented the longest cycle (45 days aprox.). In contrast, the other species was about 38 days. Importantly, this research is being completed with the morphological study of each species, in order to perform the comparative description of the immature stages and develop key for field identification.