The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda is a ruinous insect pest, native to tropical and subtropical regions of western hemisphere. It has recently invaded Indian subcontinent during 2018, causing severe damage to crops of several genera of many plant families. The incidence of FAW infestation ranged from 12% to 74%, indicating its establishment in central India where it poses an immediate and significant economic threat to crop production. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh isolate is closely related to the isolates of southern states of India. Studies on biology of FAW indicated no variation in biological parameters, when reared on fodder maize and fodder sorghum, however recorded longer larval and pupal duration (16.07 and 10.00 days) when reared on artificial diet. The adults laid more number of eggs under crop mosaic condition with varied phenological crop growth stages and the fodder maize (782.33 eggs) was most preferred for oviposition. A total of five parasitoids were recovered from the field collected larvae and also predation by generalist predator, Eocanthecona furcellata (Wolff) was recorded during the study period.

The invasive fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) was reported recently in India, in 2018, destroying food and fodder crops. Eocanthecona furcellata (Wolff) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), the native pentatomid predatory bug, expanded its host range by predating on larvae of FAW. The incidence of E. furcellata started during the 36th meteorological standard week and reached its peak population (3.4 adult and 2.4 egg mass/m²) during the 40th MSW. The predator adult female was capable of feeding on 126 ± 4.76, 88 ± 1.37, and 69 ± 1.32 larvae of II, IV, and VI instars of S. frugiperda, respectively. The field performance of E. furcellata was narrowed due to the presence of platygastroid secondary parasitoids viz., Gryon sp., Telenomus sp., and Trissolcus sp. where rate of parasitism due to respective parasitoids reached up to 100, 91.80, and 77.68% Autumn 2019.

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an invasive pest native to the American continent. The present study focused on bio-intensive tactics like intercropping, using natural enemies, botanical insecticides and biopesticides for managing S. frugiperda for the organic production of maize in Indian conditions. A total of eight different parasitoids attacking the different stages of S. frugiperda viz., eggs and larvae were found in the study area. The total parasitism rate due to all the parasitoids ranged from 28.37 to 42.44%. The egg-larval parasitoid, Chelonus formosanus Sonan (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was the dominant parasitoid (12.55%), followed by Chelonus nr. blackburni (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) (10.98%) and Coccygydium sp. (4.85%). About 36.58 percent of the egg masses collected was parasitized by egg parasitoids, among which Telenomus remus (Nixon) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) was the dominant parasitoid. The botanicals insecticides such as citronella and annona extract were most effective, resulting in 100% mortality of FAW larvae (168 h after treatment). The essential oil of garlic (100%) was found highly effective in inhibiting egg hatching, followed by geraniol (90.76%). The maize intercropped with lady’s finger (okra) recorded significantly the lowest pest infestation and recorded higher grain yield (6.17 q/ha) than other intercropping systems and control (5.10 q/ha). The overall bioefficacy of commercial biopesticides against the larvae of S. frugiperda was in the following order azadirachtin > Metarhizium anisopliae (Metch.) Sorokin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) > Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) at 168 h after treatment.

Invasive alien species (IAS) pose a severe threat to global agriculture, with their impact projected to escalate due to climate change and expanding international trade. The fall armyworm (FAW),Spodoptera frugiperda(J. E. Smith), a native of the Americas, has rapidly spread across various continents, causing significant damage to several food crops, especially maize. Integrated pest management (IPM) programs are vital for sustainable FAW control, combining multiple strategies for sustainable results. Over three consecutive years, 2019–20, 2020–21 and 2021–22, the field demonstrations were conducted in semiarid regions of India, testing a four-component IPM approach viz., pheromone traps, microbial, botanicals and ETL based applications of insecticides against farmers' practices (sole insecticide application). IPM implementation led to substantial reductions in FAW infestation. Furthermore, egg mass and larvae infestations were significantly lower in IPM-adopted villages compared to conventional practices. Pheromone-based monitoring demonstrated a consistent reduction in adult moth populations. The lowest technology gap (10.42), extension gap (8.33) and technology index (12.25) was recorded during 2020–21. The adoption of IPM led to increased maize yields (17.49, 12.62 and 24.87% over control), higher net returns (919, 906.20 and 992.93 USD), and favourable benefit–cost ratios (2.74, 2.39 and 2.33) compared to conventional practices respectively during 2019–20, 2020–21 and 2021–22. The economic viability of IPM strategies was evident across three consecutive years, confirming their potential for sustainable FAW management in the semiarid region of India. These strategies hold promise for adoption in other parts of the world sharing similar climatic conditions.

The beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), has become a significant pest of chickpea in recent years. The polyphagous nature allows it to survive on various hosts during the off-season, creating a great menace to the crop in the following season. To assess the incidence and document the alternate hosts of S. exigua, a rapid roving survey was conducted in 11 chickpea-growing areas of Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Additionally, the life history traits of S. exigua were studied on major alternate host plants under laboratory conditions (27 ± 1 °C and 70 ± 2% RH) to understand the survival, life expectancy and potential contribution to future populations. The results show that, among the different crops surveyed, the maximum larval incidence was noticed in maize (1.93 larvae/plant), cowpea (1.73 larvae/plant), and sunflower (1.68 larvae/plant) during the off-season. Life history studies of S. exigua showed that highest larval survival percentage was observed on chickpea (83.6%), while the lowest was on maize (44.5%). The mean developmental time for larvae was longest on maize (27.1 days) and shortest on chickpea (14.9 days). Larvae did not develop beyond the third instar when fed with chilli. The growth index statistics showed chickpea (9.2) was the most suitable host plant, whereas maize (0.9) was the least suitable host. The age-stage-specific survival rate (S_xj) varied across developmental stages, and the survival curves overlapped, indicating different growth rates among individuals. The life expectancy (e_xj) at age zero was highest on groundnut (37.06 days). The intrinsic rate of increase (r) of S. exigua was lowest on maize (0.10 ± 0.0013) and highest on chickpea (0.22 ± 0.0010). Similarly, the net reproductive rate (R₀) was highest on chickpea (846.39 ± 18.22) and lowest on maize (59.50 ± 2.06). The population doubled every 3.08 ± 0.011 days on chickpea compared to 7.22 ± 0.80 days on maize. The study conclusively indicates that chickpea and sunflower, primarily cultivated during the rabi season in India, are the most preferred hosts for S. exigua. In contrast, maize and cotton, mainly grown during the kharif season, are less preferred and merely support the pest's survival. Consequently, S. exigua switches hosts between different crops growing seasons, so effective management of S. exigua during the kharif season can help prevent pest outbreaks during the rabi season.