Influence of dietary protein content on the biology of Spodoptera complex caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2025v46n3p771Keywords:
Head capsule, Insect nutrition, Instar, Mass rearing, Proteins.Abstract
Spodoptera frugiperda, S. eridania, and S. cosmioides (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) are polyphagous pests of great economic relevance due to the damage they cause to crops such as corn, soybean, and cotton. Understanding the biology and nutritional requirements of these insects is essential for the development of control programs. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate the biological parameters of S. frugiperda, S. eridania, and S. cosmioides reared on artificial diets containing different protein levels under laboratory conditions (24 ± 2 °C, RH of 70 ± 10 %, and photophase of 14 h). Four artificial diets were used: the diet described by Greene et al. (1976) (D1), and three modified diets with reductions in the protein components wheat germ, soy protein, brewer's yeast, and powdered milk (casein) by 25% (D2), 50% (D3), and 75% (D4). The following parameters were evaluated: viability of the larval, pupal, and adult stages, as well as egg viability. The data were subjected to the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test followed by the Bonferroni post hoc test, both at a significance level of 0.05. To evaluate the influence of diets with different protein contents on the number of instars in each species, caterpillar head capsules were measured daily using a digital microscope and SFP software. A multimodal frequency distribution curve was then plotted, followed by linear regression to confirm the number of instars. For S. frugiperda and S. eridania, diets D1 and D2 resulted in similar viabilities, whereas for S. cosmioides, the most suitable diet was D1. Diets D1, D2, and D3 produced larvae with six instars for all three species. The artificial diet with a 25% reduction in protein content (D2) shows potential for use in laboratory rearing of S. frugiperda and S. eridania.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Millena dos Santos Rodrigues, Jael Simões Santos Rando, Laila Herta Mihsfeldt, Marcos Yassuhiro Inoue, Paulo Guilherme Rolim de Oliveira Ferreira
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