A single semi‐synthetic diet with improved antimicrobial activity for mass rearing of lepidopteran insect pests of cotton and maize

• DOI: 10.1111/eea.12779
• Publication Date: 2019-04-04T01:50:31Z
• Authors: Rupa V. Nair; Mahesh Sakharam K...; Subray P. Kamath
• Keywords: Spodoptera litura; Crambidae; Helicoverpa zea

Abstract Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), Earias vittella (Fabricius), Spodoptera litura exigua (Hübner) (all Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), and Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) Crambidae) are the major pests of cotton maize. Mass‐rearing these insects under controlled conditions is necessary to obtain numbers needed conduct bioassays screen insecticides, proteins, other compounds, as tools for insect pest management. We present a diet suitable rearing six lepidopteran (five one maize pest). further show that this on par with or superior published recipes each species, which were studied three generations. also discuss advantages antimicrobials than formalin keeping microbial growth check. A combination antimicrobial solution benomyl provided effective control suppressed microbes longer period formalin‐containing diet. common provide opportunities automation preparation in addition improved throughput consistency process, while eliminating diet‐batch related errors.