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Title: Haplotype profile comparisons between Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera:Noctuidae) populations from Mexico with those from Puerto Rico, South America, and the United States and their implications for migratory behavior

Author
item Nagoshi, Rodney
item ROSAS-GARCIA, NIFA - National Polytechnic Institute
item Meagher, Robert - Rob
item FLEISCHER, SHELBY - Pennsylvania State University
item Westbrook, John
item Sappington, Thomas
item HAY-ROE, MIRIAN - Former ARS Employee
item Gruters-Thomas, Jean
item MURUA, GABRIELA - Estacion Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC)

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/21/2014
Publication Date: 2/1/2015
Citation: Nagoshi, R.N., Rosas-Garcia, N.M., Meagher Jr, R.L., Fleischer, S.J., Westbrook, J.K., Sappington, T.W., Hay-Roe, M., Gruters Thomas, J.M., Murua, G.M. 2015. Haplotype profile comparisons between Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera:Noctuidae) populations from Mexico with those from Puerto Rico, South America, and the United States and their implications for migratory behavior. Journal of Economic Entomology. 108(1):135-144.

Interpretive Summary: The fall armyworm, a semi-tropical lepidopteran species, is an important agricultural pest in both South and North America, infesting corn, sorghum, and a number of other important grass crops. The species is known to undergo annual long-range migrations in the U.S. Fall armyworm migration is being developed as a model for monitoring the effects of climate change on the mobility of pest insects and is also important for predicting the spread of pesticide-resistance traits that frequently arise in this species. Scientists at the USDA-ARS, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, Florida, along with collaborators from other U.S., Mexico and Argentina institutions examined the various regional strain types though out the Western Hemisphere. A long-term project to study of the movements of fall armyworm populations was undertaken by mapping the distribution of the various types throughout the Western Hemisphere. This study shows the fall armyworm populations from Mexico were stable and had unique features that were distinct from but most closely related to those populations from Texas and South America. These studies provide a foundation for determining the most effect regions to establish control to prevent migrations of this pest insect.

Technical Abstract: Fall armyworm is a major economic pest throughout the Western Hemisphere of maize, cotton, sorghum, and a variety of agricultural grasses and vegetable crops. Previous studies demonstrated extensive annual migrations occurring as far north as Canada from overwintering locations in southern Florida and Texas. In contrast, migratory behavior in the rest of the hemisphere is largely uncharacterized. Understanding the migration patterns of fall armyworm will facilitate efforts to predict the spread of pesticide resistance traits that repeatedly arise in this species and assess the consequences of changing climatic trends on the infestation range. Four independent fall armyworm colonies derived from widely separated populations in Mexico were examined for their mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene haplotypes and compared to other locations. The Mexico populations were similar in their haplotype profile to those from Texas and South