INSECTICIDAL ACTIVITY OF NATIVE ISOLATES OF SPODOPTERA FRUGIPERDA MULTIPLE NUCLEOPOLYHEDROVIRUS FROM SOIL SAMPLES IN MEXICO

The FAW is the main insect pest of corn in Latin America. The larvae are susceptible to Spodoptera frugiperda multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SfMNPV). Ten isolates collected from soil of corn plots infested with FAW larvae in Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Nayarit, Mexico were evaluated to control this pest. Bioassays were performed to determine the biological response of the third instar to SfMNPV infection in order to select the most infective isolate. The diet surface contamination technique was used. The isolate SfMNPV-AN2 from Coahuila was the most highly infectious. Additional bioassays of the same isolate were performed in the 5 FAW instars to determinate mortality. LC 50 increased as the size of the insect increased from first to fifth instar. A similar pattern occurred with LT 50. This study achieved the isolation from the soil of highly virulent SfMNPV isolates. Copyright © 2011 BioOne All rights reserved.