Open Access
Harnessing Chelonus inanitus for efficient Spodoptera spp. management: learning about production to explore roles in baculovirus transmission
(Elsevier, 2025-03-01) Dáder, Beatriz; Morel, Ariel; Muñoz Labiano, Delia; Caballero Murillo, Primitivo; Medina, Pilar; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura
Control of Spodoptera spp. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) crop pests has traditionally relied on heavy insecticide use. Baculoviruses (BV) from the genera Alphabaculovirus and Betabaculovirus offer effective, species-specific alternatives for managing their outbreaks. Joint use of BVs with natural enemies, such as parasitoids, could further enhance control of Spodoptera spp. by contributing to virus dispersion. In a series of experiments, we studied the optimal host age and parasitization duration of the endoparasitoid Chelonus inanitus L. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) for parasitoid production, as well as the parasitoid preference and mechanical transmission of Spodoptera exigua and Spodoptera littoralis multiple nucleopolyhedroviruses (SeMNPV and SpliMNPV). We found that parasitoid progeny production was significantly lower when parasitized eggs were either too young (24 h) or too old (96 h), highlighting the importance of host egg age. Additionally, there was an increasing trend in parasitoid offspring production with longer parasitization exposure times, particularly at 6 and 24 h compared to shorter durations. Chelonus inanitus did not discriminate between SpliMNPV-contaminated and non-contaminated eggs, but had a remarkable preference for SeMNPV-contaminated eggs. The parasitoid effectively dispersed BVs, not only from BV-treated eggs to heathy ones by parasitization, but also, and even more efficiently, by the sole contact with a contaminated surface without eggs. Understanding complex BV-parasitoid interactions is crucial for developing integrated pest management strategies that maximize the efficacy of both parasites.
Open Access
The parasitoid hyposoter didymator can transmit a broad host range baculovirus in a two host system
(MDPI, 2023) Morel, Ariel; Leigh, Brendan; Muñoz Labiano, Delia; Caballero Murillo, Primitivo; Medina, Pilar; Dáder, Beatriz; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura
Hyposoter didymator (Thunberg) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) and baculovirus (BV) might be used jointly to provide effective control of the Spodoptera genus. The literature has mostly covered the safe compatibility between natural enemies and BV-based insecticides, but research on the potential dispersal of BV by natural enemies is lacking. Thus, the goal of this manuscript was to ascertain if H. didymator was able to disperse the broad host range of Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) to Spodoptera littoralis and Spodoptera exigua in choice and non-choice conditions and whether the preference of the parasitoid by one of these noctuids could mediate this dispersion. It was previously needed to improve the rearing of the parasitoid in the laboratory, concerning the optimal host age and length of parasitization, parasitoid competition, and influence of parasitization on the longevity of females. The best rearing conditions for S. littoralis are collective parasitization of mature L3 larvae for 24 h, after at least one day of copulation. Hyposoter didymator transmits AcMNPV to both lepidopterans, but its efficiency is mediated by host preference and the pathogenicity of the BV in each host. In this particular case, H. didymator as well as AcMNPV showed a clear preference towards S. exigua.

Muñoz Labiano, Delia

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