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Competitive interactions of a new invader (Spodoptera frugiperda) and indigenous species (Ostrinia furnacalis) on maize in China

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Abstract

Spodoptera frugiperda has been reported in China since the beginning of 2019, threatening maize production and raising questions about interactions with indigenous pests on maize. Spodoptera frugiperda is in the same feeding guild as the indigenous species Ostrinia furnacalis, with both pests attacking maize plant tissues such as whorls and tassels. In this study, the interaction of these species was assessed under laboratory and field conditions by examining the survival and predation rate of larvae in maize whorls and tassels. Intraspecific and interspecific interactions of larvae were assessed to characterize movements in arenas in the presence and absence of food. When S. frugiperda and O. furnacalis were present at an equal ratio, S. frugiperda prevailed over O. furnacalis with a high survival rate (over 90%) and predation rate of O. furnacalis (over 40%) under most scenarios in both laboratory and field conditions. When both species occurred at different ratios in the field, S. frugiperda had on average almost 16 times the number of survivors as O. furnacalis on whorls, and 8.3 times the number on tassels, highlighting a substantial advantage in these environments. Spodoptera frugiperda larvae undertook a low frequency of lethal attacks (strikes) and showed a higher incidence of defensive movements compared to O. furnacalis. A field survey showed that S. frugiperda larvae can colonize vegetative plant stages in maize, but it remains to be seen if competitive interactions can be linked to population dynamics of both species though they are expected to favor S. frugiperda.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Chinese Agricultural Research System of MOF and MARA (CARS-15-18), the Foundation project of Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CX19 (2004)), National Natural Science Foundation of China (31901889), the Integration research and demonstration of the technology of cotton fertilizer and pesticide reduction of China (2017YFD0201900).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China

    Jing Zhao, Yiping Jiang, Liubin Xiao, Yongan Tan & Lixin Bai

  2. Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety of Jiangsu Province-State Key Laboratory Breeding Base,, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Science, Nanjing, China

    Jing Zhao

  3. Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, Bio21 Institute, School of BioSciences , The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

    Ary Hoffmann

  4. Huai Yin Institute of Agricultural Sciences of Xuhuai Regionin Jiangsu, Huaian, China

    Changyong Zhou

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  1. Jing Zhao
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  2. Ary Hoffmann
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  3. Yiping Jiang
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  4. Liubin Xiao
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  5. Yongan Tan
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Correspondence to Liubin Xiao.

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Zhao, J., Hoffmann, A., Jiang, Y. et al. Competitive interactions of a new invader (Spodoptera frugiperda) and indigenous species (Ostrinia furnacalis) on maize in China. J Pest Sci 95, 159–168 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-021-01392-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-021-01392-1

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