A survey of fall armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) parasitoids in the Mexican states of Michoacan, Colima, Jalisco, and Tamaulipas

Fall armyworm larvae, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) were collected from whorl stage corn or sorghum in the states of Michoacan, Colima, and Jalisco in August, and Tamaulipas, Mexico in September 1998. Eleven species of hymenopteran parasitoids were recovered representing 3 families: Ichneumonidae (Ophion flavidus Brulle, Campoletis flavicincta Ashmead, and Pristomerus spinator F.); Braconidae (Aleiodes laphygmae Viereck, Cotesia marginiventris Cresson, Meteorus laphygmae Viereck, Meteorus sp., Chelonus insularis Cresson, Chelonus sp. probably cautus Cresson, and Chelonus sp.); and Eulophidae (Euplectrus platyhypenae Howard). The overall rate of parasitism was 11.3%, based on 2219 larvae collected. The highest rate of parasitism from a single collection was 26.5%, representing 6 species of parasitoids in Michoacan. The next highest rate of parasitism, 23%, was by a single species, C. flavicincta, in Michoacan. The most widely distributed species was P. spinator, occurring in 12 collections from 3 states. Chelonus sp. was collected from all four states in only 6 collections. The greater diversity of parasitoids and higher rates of parasitism in Michoacan may be related to the more diverse habitat with more forests, orchards, and pastures near the cornfields in that state.