Archytas marmoratus (Diptera: Tachinidae): Screened-Cage Evaluations of Selected Densities of Adults Against Larval Populations of Heliothis zea and Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Whorl and Tassel Stage Corn

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Abstract
The performance of female Archytas marmoratus was evaluated in field cages (l.8 by 1.8 by 1.8 m) against 5th- and early 6th-instar larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda and 4th- and 5th-instar larvae of Heliothis zea in whorl and tassel stage sweet corn. respectively. Parasitism of Spodoptera frugiperda by maggots of two, four, or eight female A. marmoratus per cage reduced numbers of emerging S. frugiperda adults by 44.9, 57.0, and 66.5%, respectively, when compared with a control. Parasitism of H. zea by larvae of two, four, or eight female A. marmoratus per cage reduced numbers of emerging H. zea adults by 20.9, 30.3, and 42.4%, respectively. Numbers of emerging F 1A. marmoratus adults from parasitized pupae of S. frugiperda and H. zea increased progressively after releases of zero, two, and four female A. marmoratus per cage. However, eight female A. marmoratus per cage caused a reduction in the number of emerging F 1A. marmoratus adults, probably because of superparasitism of larvae, which resulted in the death of both the host and its parasitoid.