# Lethal and sublethal effects of chemical and bio-insecticides on Spodoptera frugiperda adults: new perspectives for “attract-and-kill” control strategies

## TL;DR

This study evaluates insecticides for controlling fall armyworm adults, finding chlorantraniliprole to be highly effective and environmentally favorable.

## Contribution

The study introduces chlorantraniliprole as a novel, sustainable insecticide for 'attract-and-kill' strategies against fall armyworm.

## Key findings

- Chlorantraniliprole showed the highest toxicity with an LC50 of 1.29 mg/L against S. frugiperda adults.
- Sublethal exposure reduced offspring development time, pupal weight, and adult longevity.
- Detoxification enzyme induction was minimal, indicating a lower risk of resistance development.

## Abstract

Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), commonly known as the fall armyworm, is a highly destructive migratory insect that poses a serious risk to global agricultural production, particularly maize crop. Targeting adult stages through ingestion-based control strategies offers a promising alternative to conventional broad-spectrum insecticide applications. In the current research, the lethal and sublethal impacts of five insecticides were evaluated against adult S. frugiperda, with a particular focus on chlorantraniliprole. Of the tested compounds, chlorantraniliprole revealed the highest toxicity (LC50 = 1.29 mg/L). Sublethal exposure to chlorantraniliprole significantly reduced larval and pupal development durations, decreased pupal weights, and shortened adult longevity in the offspring, without significantly affecting larval mortality, pupation rate, or emergence rate. Enzymatic assays showed a minimal induction of detoxification enzymes, suggesting a lower likelihood of rapid resistance emergence. This underscores the promise of chlorantraniliprole as an effective, environmentally favorable agent for integration into attract-and-kill strategies aimed at the sustainable control of S. frugiperda infestations.