Fall armyworm is composed of two host strains or races that are possibly in the initial stages of speciation. Several molecular techniques have been developed to distinguish the strains. Strain identification is important since research has shown biological, behavioral, toxicological, and host genotypic differences. This study was conducted using Florida populations of adult males collected in sex pheromone traps. Overwintering of fall armyworm occurs in southern Florida counties, and previous results have shown that both strains exist in Florida. Using two different techniques, our work confirmed that both host strains exist in Florida and that males killed in traps could still be identified to host strain after 7 days.
Species 1: Lepidoptera Noctuidae Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm)
Keywords: populations, molecular techniques
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA