Fall-armyworm
Guides
Archytas marmoratus
marbled bristle fly
Archytas marmoratus is a tachinid bristle fly and member of the marmoratus species group. It is a larval-pupal parasitoid of noctuid moth caterpillars, particularly the corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea) and fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). In 1986, it was successfully employed in biological control programs against the fall armyworm. The species has been used in inundative release programs, achieving parasitism rates exceeding 90% in isolated corn fields.
Calosoma angulatum
angulate caterpillar hunter
Calosoma angulatum, commonly known as the angulate caterpillar hunter, is a large ground beetle in the family Carabidae. First described by Chevrolat in 1834, this species ranges from the southwestern United States through Central America into northern South America. It inhabits premontane moist forests and oak-savannah ecosystems. Adults are known to prey on Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm), indicating a role as a predator of agricultural pest caterpillars.
Charops
Charops is a genus of ichneumonid wasps in the subfamily Campopleginae, established by Holmgren in 1859. Species in this genus are larval parasitoids of lepidopteran hosts, with documented associations including fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in agricultural systems. The genus has a broad geographic distribution spanning Asia, South America, and Europe. Recent taxonomic work has expanded the known species diversity, particularly with descriptions of seven new species from Brazil and one from China.
Doru taeniatum
lined earwig
Doru taeniatum, the lined earwig, is a predaceous earwig species in the family Forficulidae. It is native to the Americas, ranging from North America through Central America to South America. The species has been studied extensively for its potential role in biological control, particularly in maize agroecosystems where it preys on pest lepidopterans including the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). Laboratory studies indicate it is omnivorous, capable of completing development and reproduction on plant pollen or lepidopteran eggs alone, with optimal fitness on mixed or egg-only diets.
Eiphosoma
Eiphosoma is a genus of ichneumonid wasps in the subfamily Cremastinae, established by Cresson in 1865. Species in this genus are larval endoparasitoids primarily associated with noctuid moth larvae, particularly the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). Several species have been investigated as biological control agents for agricultural pests, with E. vitticolle and E. laphygmae receiving particular attention for their potential in integrated pest management. The genus exhibits a New World distribution centered in the Neotropics, with documented species from Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, and Costa Rica.
Euplectrus platyhypenae
Euplectrus platyhypenae is a gregarious ectoparasitoid wasp in the family Eulophidae that develops externally on lepidopteran host larvae. The species has been documented attacking fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in laboratory studies and peanut foliage-feeding caterpillars in Oklahoma. Females exhibit host strain preference, ovipositing preferentially on corn-strain fall armyworm over rice-strain hosts. Development is rapid, with egg-to-adult times of approximately 9.8–10.5 days depending on host strain.
Telenomus
Telenomus is a genus of minute egg parasitoid wasps in the subfamily Telenominae, family Scelionidae. First described by Alexander Henry Haliday in 1833, species in this genus develop as parasitoids within the eggs of other insects, primarily targeting Lepidoptera and Hemiptera. Several species, notably T. remus and T. podisi, are important biological control agents used in integrated pest management programs against agricultural pests including fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) and stink bugs (Euschistus spp.). The genus exhibits a cosmopolitan distribution with particular significance in tropical and subtropical agricultural systems.