ABSTRACT
In Brazil, the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an important pest of maize and other crops including horticultural crops, soybean, rice, and cotton. Botanical insecticides are an interesting option for S. frugiperda management especially in organic production systems, and annonaceous derivatives have been considered a promising source of them. In light of this potential, we investigated the antifeedant and growth inhibitory effects of ethanolic extract from Annona mucosa seeds — ESAM (Annonaceae) against S. frugiperda using dietary exposure bioassays. ESAM decreased larval and pupal viabilities and also the pupal weight as well as increased the larval phase duration of S. frugiperda. Moreover, ESAM also caused an increase in the proportion of pupae and adults with morphological changes. However, ESAM did not cause antifeedant effect for 4-instar S. frugiperda larvae, though it decreased consumption throughout the time (post-ingestive toxicity).
Key words
botanical insecticides; fall armyworm; acetogenins; sublethal effects
