Journal of Advances in Biology & Biotechnology

Widespread application of chemical pesticides may result in the destruction of beneficial insects, causing a resurgence of pests that had been managed in ecosystems for many years. To safeguard these beneficial organisms, it is essential to mitigate the non-target effects of most pesticides; however, this requires understanding the potential native natural enemies in the ecosystem and evaluating their possible ecosystem services against current spodopteran pest threats. Studies on the host range of fall armyworm and its natural enemies were undertaken at SKUAST-Jammu for two consecutive years (2021 and 2022) was encompassing by fortnightly surveys across three distinct areas in Jammu district viz., Nagrota, Marh and R.S. Pura Block. The widespread infestations of fall armyworm (FAW) were observed on varied host plants viz., maize, cowpea, chilli, sorghum, sugarcane, cabbage and cauliflower, belonging to four major families (Poaceae, Fabaceae, Solanaceae, and Brassicaceae). The detailed studies on pest status revealed that fall armyworm was a major pest on maize in Nagrota, Marh and R.S. Pura Block during both years. Among natural enemies, ten natural enemies categorised into predators and parasitoids of fall armyworm were recorded in the maize ecosystem. Among the parasitoids, Chelonus sp., Campoletis chlorideae, Cotesia sp. and Tetrastichus howardi were recorded parasitising various stages of the fall armyworm life cycle. Alongside the parasitoids, a significant number of predators were meticulously recorded within the maize ecosystem. Among them, the presence of the formidable Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) as a predator of fall armyworm was also observed. Thus, fall armyworm infestation, particularly in maize, with minor infestations observed in chilli, cabbage and sugarcane and in the maize ecosystem, ten natural enemies, comprising predators and parasitoids of fall armyworm, were identified.