D3092: Unveiling the spatial and temporal dynamics of Spodoptera frugiperda in an arid agricultural landscape

Monday, November 11, 2024

9:00 AM – 5:00 PM MST

Location: Phoenix Convention Center, Exhibit Hall 6, PCC

Presenting Author(s)

DD

Daiane Dalla Nora

PhD Student
University of Puerto Rico
Carolina, Puerto Rico

Co-Author(s)

Ricardo Rubin Balardin (he/him/his)

Student
University of Puerto Rico
Carolina, Puerto Rico
Jose Carlos Verle Rodrigues (he/him/his)

Director
USDA-APHIS
Edinburg, Texas

Understanding insect dispersion patterns in agricultural landscapes is crucial to establishing new management strategies. Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an important agricultural pest worldwide. Its moths can disperse across different types of patches. Additionally, populational dynamics are driven by climatic conditions. The influence of climate variables in laboratory environments is well documented, providing essential information on the impact of weather on their life cycle. However, field studies provide valuable information regarding insect dynamics under natural conditions. Our research studied two factors impacting S. frugiperda dynamics: local microclimatic conditions and the seasonal changes in land cover, including host and non-host plants. The sampling was conducted on a farm in Guánica, Puerto Rico for 15 months, employing pheromone traps to collect moths. The study area of 97 hectares received 40 randomized permanent trapping points monitored every 14 days. We applied generalized linear models to analyze the influence of temperature, humidity, and rainfall on population dynamics. To evaluate the fluctuation of the population over time according to land cover change, we used generalized additive models. During the experiment, we collected 5,530 moths. The mean change from 26°C to 28°C doubled the number of S. frugiperda caught. Regarding the land cover, our findings revealed that only tomato cover significantly affected the abundance and the population of S. frugiperda. These findings offer insights into the critical climatic variables and land cover impacting S. frugiperda capture and suggest that the southern dry areas in Puerto Rico provide vital data about this pest dynamics.