Concentration-Related Mortality of Spodoptera Frugiperda Larvae Treated With Bacillus Thuringiensis and Beauveria Bassiana
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35791/jat.v7i3.70426Keywords:
Bacillus thuringiensis, Beauveria bassiana, biological control, larval mortality, Spodoptera frugiperdaAbstract
The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is a serious crop pest for which microbial control agents warrant laboratory evaluation. This study described larval mortality associated with three concentrations of Bacillus thuringiensis spore suspensions and Beauveria bassiana conidial suspensions. The study was conducted from June to August 2026 at the Plant Disease Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Sam Ratulangi University, Indonesia. The reported completely randomized design comprised one control and six microbial treatments, with three replicates of ten larvae per treatment (210 larvae in total). Suspensions were applied by direct spraying at 1 × 10⁷, 1 × 10⁸, and 1 × 10⁹ spores/mL for B. thuringiensis or conidia/mL for B. bassiana. The bioassay lasted seven days. Across the three concentrations, reported mortality was 53.3%, 76.7%, and 93.3% after B. thuringiensis treatment, compared with 46.7%, 66.7%, and 83.3% after B. bassiana treatment. Thus, mortality increased numerically with concentration within each microbial treatment series. However, control mortality, the basis for aggregation across replicates, and details of the microbial preparations were not reported in the available study record. Consequently, these results should be interpreted descriptively and do not establish statistical superiority or equivalent biological potency between bacterial spores and fungal conidia. The observations support further, more completely documented bioassays of these microbial preparations for fall armyworm management
References
Apirajkamol, N., Hogarty, T. M., Mainali, B., Taylor, P. W., Walsh, T. K., & Tay, W. T. (2023). Virulence of Beauveria sp. and Metarhizium sp. fungi towards fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). Archives of Microbiology, 205, 328. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-023-03669-8
Apirajkamol, N., James, B., Hogarty, T. M., Mainali, B., Taylor, P. W., Roberts, J., Rane, R., Tay, W. T., & Walsh, T. K. (2025). Mining novel Bacillus thuringiensis toxins and secondary metabolites for invasive fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) control. Austral Entomology, 64(1), e70000. https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.70000
Azazy, A., Adly, A., El Sappagh, I., Khalil, A., & El-Saadany, H. (2025). Field application of entomopathogenic agents against the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in maize. Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control, 35, 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41938-025-00854-3
Cokola, M. C., Ben Fekih, I., Bisimwa, E. B., Capparos Megido, R., Delvigne, F., & Francis, F. (2023). Natural occurrence of Beauveria bassiana (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) infecting Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and earwig in eastern DR Congo. Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control, 33, 54. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41938-023-00702-2
Frimpong-Anin, K., Amoabeng, B. W., Awarikabey, E. N., Danso, Y., Asamoah, J. F., Ohene-Mensah, G., Agyekum, A., Obeng, P., & Agodzo, B. A. (2025). Integrating native entomopathogens into fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) management in Ghana. International Journal of Agronomy, 2025(1), 7782479. https://doi.org/10.1155/ioa/7782479
Gao, Y.-P., Luo, M., Wang, X.-Y., He, X. Z., Lu, W., & Zheng, X.-L. (2022). Pathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana PfBb and immune responses of a non-target host, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Insects, 13(10), 914. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13100914
Idrees, A., Afzal, A., Qadir, Z. A., & Li, J. (2022). Bioassays of Beauveria bassiana isolates against the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda. Journal of Fungi, 8(7), 717. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8070717
Karshanal, J., & Kalia, V. K. (2023a). Efficacy of native Bacillus isolates against different larval instars of fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda alone and in combination. Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control, 33, 102. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41938-023-00743-7
Karshanal, J., & Kalia, V. K. (2023b). Endophytic establishment of native Bacillus thuringiensis strain in maize plants and its efficacy against Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control, 33, 82. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41938-023-00726-8
Khanal, D., Subedi, D., Banjade, G., Lamichhane, M., Shrestha, S., & Chaudhary, P. (2024). Efficacy of different pesticides against fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) under laboratory conditions in Rupandehi, Nepal. International Journal of Agronomy, 2024, 7140258. https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/7140258
Kumar, P., Kamle, M., Borah, R., Mahato, D. K., & Sharma, B. (2021). Bacillus thuringiensis as microbial biopesticide: Uses and application for sustainable agriculture. Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control, 31, 95. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41938-021-00440-3
Lakshita, N., Yulani, R. A., Wijonarko, A., & Indarti, S. (2024). Genomic DNA extraction methods and phylogenetic analysis of Beauveria bassiana from Central Java, Indonesia, and its toxicity against the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control, 34, 59. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41938-024-00819-y
Mahmood, S., & Parwez, H. (2024). The repository of biocontrol agents for Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith, 1797) with emphasis on their mode of action. The Journal of Basic and Applied Zoology, 85, 18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41936-024-00358-w
Nelly, N., Hamid, H., Lina, E. C., Yunisman, Rusli, R., Yanti, Y., & Kairunisa, M. (2024). Effectiveness of Bacillus spp. from West Sumatra, Indonesia in controlling Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Biodiversitas, 25(4), 1472–1478. https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d250415
Tay, W. T., Meagher, R. L., Jr., Czepak, C., & Groot, A. T. (2023). Spodoptera frugiperda: Ecology, evolution, and management options of an invasive species. Annual Review of Entomology, 68, 299–317. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ento-120220-102548
Wakil, W., Iftikhar, S., Kavallieratos, N. G., Gidari, D. L. S., Boukouvala, M. C., Razzaq, M., & Avery, P. B. (2026). Laboratory evaluation of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana, bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, and insecticide emamectin benzoate treatments, alone and in dual combinations against Spodoptera frugiperda. Crop Protection, 200, 107446. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2025.107446
Wu, H.-Z., Pan, X.-R., Shen, J., He, P.-Y., Cao, H.-Q., Sheng, C.-W., & Chen, J.-S. (2025). Joint toxicity and control efficacy of chemical pesticides and insecticidal bacteria against Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology, 28(2), 102414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aspen.2025.102414
Zhang, L.-W., Lu, F.-F., Zhu, L., Zhou, C.-X., Xu, X.-M., Zhang, N., Zhou, L.-J., Desneux, N., Wang, Y.-H., & Dong, Y.-C. (2024). Isolation and evaluation of indigenous isolates of Beauveria bassiana and synergistic control of Spodoptera frugiperda with the parasitoid Microplitis prodeniae. Insects, 15(11), 877. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15110877
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Henny.V.G. Makal, Christina L. Salaki, Yefta Pamandungan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
