The fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda is an important invasive pest in Africa and Asia. It is a polyphagous pest with at least 353 recorded host plant species, including corn. Chemical control of this pest is unsuccessful because of a developed resistance and harmful effects on the environment. Entomopathogenic fungi are potential biological control agents for FAW. In this study, the native strain of Metarhizium rileyi (KNU-Ye-1), collected from a cornfield at Yeongcheon, Korea, was identified by morphological and molecular characterization. The susceptibility of the fourth-instar larvae of FAW to the native strain M. rileyi was examined in the laboratory. The results showed that the Korean strain of M. rileyi (KNU-Ye-1) was highly virulent to FAW larvae, causing 89% mortality 7 days posttreatment. Therefore, M. rileyi (KNU-Ye-1) identified in this study is highly valuable for the biological control of FAW in the field.
Keywords: Spodoptera frugiperda; biological control; climate change; invasive species; natural enemy.
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