1Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal
2Center for International Research, Education, and Development, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA24061, USA
*Email: neeshasubedi329@gmail.com (corresponding author)
Online Published on 25 September, 2025.
The fall army worm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera) is an invasive polyphagous pest that prefers maize crop in the newly invaded regions like Africa, Asia, Australasia, and some Pacific Islands and was recorded in Nepal in the year 2019. Surveys were conducted in the maize fields to collect various natural enemies for utilization in the management of FAW. Several larvae infected with an unidentified fungus were collected and subjected to morphological and molecular analysis for identification as Metarhizium rileyi. In bioassay studies we observed percent larval mortality at 1x108 conidia/ml suspension. This is the first report of M. rileyi infecting S. frugiperda from Nepal.
Spodoptera frugiperda, Metarhizium rileyi, Maize, Entomopathogenic fungus, IPM, Natural enemies, Pathogenicity, Spores, Laboratory studies, Molecular characterisation
