Global scientific progress and shortfalls in biological control of the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda

• DOI: 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105460
• Publication Date: 2024-02-14T05:28:00Z
• Authors: Kris A.G. Wyckhuys; Komivi S. Akutse; Divina M. Amalin; Salah-Eddin Araj; Gloria Barrera; Marie Joy B. Beltran; Ibtissem Ben Fekih; Paul-André Calatayud; Lizette Cicero; Marcellin C. Cokola; Yelitza C. Colmen...; Kenza Dessauvages; Thomas Dubois; Léna Durocher-Gra...; Carlos Espinel; Patrick Fallet; José L. Fernández...; Frederic Francis; Juliana Gómez; Khalid Haddi; Rhett D. Harrison; Muhammad Haseeb; Natasha S.A. Iwan...; Lara R. Jaber; Fathiya M. Khamis; Jesusa C. Legaspi; Refugio J. Lomeli...; Rogerio B. Lopes; Baoqian Lyu; James Montoya-Lerma; Melissa P. Montec...; Andrew Polaszek; Tung D. Nguyen; Ihsan Nurkomar; James E. O'Hara; Jermaine D. Perier; Ricardo Ramírez-R...; Francisco J. Sánc...; Ann M. Robinson-B...; Luis C. Silveira; Larisner Simeon; Leellen F. Solter; Oscar F. Santos-A...; Elijah J. Talamas; Wagner de Souza T...; Rogelio Trabanino; Ted C.J. Turlings; Fernando H. Valic...; Carlos Vásquez; Zhenying Wang; Ana P.G.S. Wengrat; Lian-Sheng Zang; Wei Zhang; Kennedy J. Zimba; Kongming Wu; Maged Elkahky; Buyung A.R. Hadi
• Keywords: Fall armyworm

Since 2016, the fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda has spread over extensive areas of tropics and subtropics, imperiling food security, economic progress livelihoods millions cereal farmers. Although FAW received long-standing scientific attention in its home range Americas, chemical inputs feature prominently mitigation biological control uptake is globally lagging. Here, building upon a quantitative review global literature, we methodically dissect science. Of known entomopathogens (46), parasitoids (310) predators (215) FAW, approx. 40% have been subject to laboratory- or field-level scrutiny. Laboratory-level performance partially assessed for 14–18% above invertebrate taxa. Yet, organismal, geographic, methodological thematic biases hamper efforts relate in-field animal biodiversity services. Often, single-guild 'snapshot' surveys are preferred comprehensive bio-inventories population dynamics appraisals, trophic interactions remain undocumented, standard pest infestation metrics lacking natural enemy censuses performed arbitrarily. Diurnal biota receive inordinate attention, while egg pupal predation - main biotic sources mortality routinely overlooked. Multiple microbial investigated with view towards mass-rearing augmentative release. Meanwhile, conservation receives marginal cross-disciplinary engagement agroecology domain We lay out several steps, including standardized methodologies, smart use biodemographic toolkits, networked field trials fortification ecological underpinnings, sharpen science urge further momentum implementation.