High Parasitism of Telenomus and Trichogramma Species on Spodoptera frugiperda Eggs During Maize Vegetative Stage in Gorontalo, Indonesia

Abstract

The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda, Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an invasive pest that threatens maize production in Indonesia, particularly during the vegetative stage. This study aimed to identify egg parasitoid species and assess their parasitism levels on S. frugiperda during this critical growth phase in Gorontalo, Indonesia. Field sampling was conducted from February to April 2021 using random sampling of egg masses at three maize fields in Suwawa District. The collected eggs were incubated in the laboratory to observe emergence and identify parasitoids. This study revealed the significant contribution of egg parasitoids—particularly Telenomus sp.—in suppressing S. frugiperda populations during the vegetative stage of maize in Gorontalo, Indonesia. Parasitism rates were remarkably high across all observation periods, ranging from 83.82% to 92.54%, and the emergence of Telenomus sp. consistently exceeded that of Trichogramma sp. These findings demonstrate that native egg parasitoids are already actively controlling S. frugiperda in the field and should be preserved through ecologically sensitive pest management. Avoiding insecticide use during early maize growth stages is essential to maintaining the activity of beneficial parasitoids.The Fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda Smith is an invasive insect pest that attacks corn plants in Indonesia. This pest can damage corn plants in the vegetative phase causing crop failure. This research aimed to determine the types of egg parasitoids of the fall armyworm and the parasite level of these egg parasitoids during the maize vegetative stage. This research was carried out from February to April 2021 in Suwawa District, Bone Bolango Regency, Gorontalo Province. In this study, a quantitative descriptive approach was used as the research method. Egg sampling of S. frugiperda was used random sampling. There are two species of S. frugiperda egg parasitoids found in this study, namely Telenomus sp. and Trichogramma sp. The parasitism level resulting from the combination of the two egg parasitoid species of S. frugiperda is remarkably high, ranging from 82.83% to 92.54%. The number of Telenomus sp. parasitoids that hatched ranged from 36.1 to 62.2 individuals, making this species more dominant than Trichogramma sp., which ranged from 4.3 to 6.5 individuals