BENEFICIAL INSECTS ASSOCIATED TO CONTROL OF THE FALL ARMYWORM (Spodoptera frugiperda) IN MAIZE (Zea mays L.) CULTIVATION

Abstract

The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) (Smith & Abott) is a pest organism in México’s maize, and causes damages of around 60 % in yield, damaging the young tissues. The main method for its control is the use of chemical pesticides; however, the use of these substances has negative effects on human health and on beneficial insects, such as pollinators, parasitoids, and predators of the fall armyworm and others such as Helicoverpa zea. Some of them are relevant in the natural regulation of S. frugiperda populations, as for example, the hymenoptera which are the most abundant parasitoids in maize crops, with families Ichneumonidae and Braconidae standing out. The predators or entomophagous insects of the fall armyworm, such as ladybugs and lacewings, feed mostly on the insect’s eggs. A description of the natural control that these insects exercise on the fall armyworm populations is made, and of their contributions to the ecological equilibrium of agroecosystems devoted to the production of maize and other species of grains.