Agricultural Science Commons^™

A Fungal-Based Pesticide Does Not Harm Pollination Service Provided By The African Stingless Bee Meliponula Ferruginea On Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus), Evanson R. Omuse, Saliou Niassy, Nkoba Kiatoko, H. Michael G. Lattorff, John M. Wagacha, Thomas Dubois

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) provide pollination services to crops and produce high–quality honey. The application of agrochemicals during the management of crop pests is an increasing threat to pollinators and the ecosystem services they provide. Biopesticides are considered as better alternatives; however, there is limited evidence of their impact on stingless bees. We evaluated the effect of the most widely used African fungal biopesticide (Metarhizium anisopliae ICIPE 69) on mortality, foraging behavior and pollination success of the African stingless bee Meliponula ferruginea under semi-field conditions. Colonies of M. ferruginea were introduced into four 24 m2 greenhouse compartments containing blooming cucumber …

Pestfacts Wa Issue 07 - June 2022, Alan Lord, Dusty Severtson, Cindy L. Webster, Svetlana Micic, Kithsiri Jayasena, Geoff J. Thomas, Ciara Beard, Andrea Hills, Jean Galloway

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 07 - June 2022 contents:

• Native budworm moths and caterpillars are being found early
• 2022 winter spring insecticide spray guide is now available
• Monitor barley crops for net blotches
• Powdery mildew in barley and wheat
• Sclerotinia apothecia
• Spartacus leaf tipping

Pestfacts Wa Issue 06 - June 2022, Cindy L. Webster, Svetlana Micic, Alan Lord, Benjamin S. Congdon, Steve Collins

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 06 - June 2022 contents:

• African black beetle
• Aphid and turnip yellows virus update
• Cutworm caterpillars
• European earwigs are damaging canola
• Other recent insect activity
• New PestFacts WA Reporter app available for apple devices

Plant Growth And Defense Traits In Sorghum Bicolor’S Response To Chilo Partellus In The Tropics, Adekunle W. Adesanya, Maria Isabel Gomez, Kimberly Morrell, Charles Midega, Zeyaur Khan, André Kessler, Katja Poveda

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

In order to meet the increasing demands from an exploding human population, sustainable agriculture relies on the availability of crop varieties with high yields and optimal defenses to pests. However, ample work has suggested that domesticated plants could have reduced defenses at the expense of increased biomass or yield, and these potential trade-offs can vary among plant species and genotypes. Herbivory coping mechanisms such as tolerance and resistance can be expressed differently among plant genotypes, with variable relationships and inherent fitness costs. Knowledge of the connection between growth and defense mechanisms in cultivated plants is still limited, especially in tropical …

Re-Evaluation Of Late Season Action Thresholds And The Effect Of Seed Treatments On Early Season Colonization Of Threecornered Alfalfa Hopper, Spissistilus Festinus (Say), In Louisiana Soybean, Glycine Max (L) Merr, Tyler Ray Tagle Musgrove

LSU Master's Theses

Soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr, is considered the most economically important oil and feed crop in the US and is grown on nearly 35,000,000 ha on an annual basis. Factors that limit yield include weed pressure, disease infection, and of particular interest to entomologists, insect herbivory. Soybean is targeted by a range of above and below ground pests which are primarily controlled by insecticides. Neonicotinoids are a recently popularized insecticide class that when applied as a seed treatment, can provide protection from early season pests. The most economically significant early season pest is threecornered alfalfa hopper, Spissistilus festinus (Say), whose …

Bioactive Volatiles From Push-Pull Companion Crops Repel Fall Armyworm And Attract Its Parasitoids, Islam S. Sobhy, Amanuel Tamiru, Xavier Chiriboga Morales, Dickens Nyagol, Duncan Cheruiyot, Frank Chidawanyika, Sevgan Subramanian, Charles A.O. Midega, Toby J.A. Bruce, Zeyaur R. Khan

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is a serious invasive pest in Africa but “Push-Pull” companion cropping can substantially reduce infestation. Here, we elucidate the underpinning chemical ecology mechanisms. We hypothesized that companion crop volatiles repel herbivores (push) while attracting natural enemies (pull). Headspace volatiles collected from companion plants (Desmodium intortum, Desmodium uncinatum, Brachiaria Mulato II) were used in bioassays and electrophysiological recordings with S. frugiperda and parasitoid wasps. Insect populations, plant damage and herbivore parasitism were assessed in field plots. Coupled GC-electroantennogram (GC-EAG) recordings showed robust responses to certain aromatic and terpenoid volatile compounds. In wind tunnel bioassays, maize volatiles mixed …

Pestfacts Wa Issue 01 - April 2022, Cindy L. Webster, Svetlana Micic, Saleh Adnan, Janette Pratt, Jean Galloway, Adam H. Sparks, Jeff Russell

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 01 - April 2022 contents:

• What to expect from mollusc pests after a hot dry summer
• Meet our new team member – Dr Saleh Adnan
• Canola blackleg risk forecasts
• Have you checked out the new Grains Farm Biosecurity website?

Measuring And Modelling Crop Yield Losses Due To Invasive Insect Pests Under Climate Change, Henri Ez Tonnang, Bonoukpoè M. Sokame, Elfatih M. Abdel-Rahman, Thomas Dubois

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Climate change and agriculture are strongly correlated, and the fast pace of climate change will have impacts on agroecosystems and crop productivity. This review summarizes potential impacts of rising temperatures and atmospheric CO2 concentrations on insect pest-crop interactions and provides two-way approaches for integrating these impacts into crop models for sustainable pest management strategies designing. Rising temperatures and CO2 levels affect insect physiology, accelerate their metabolism and increase their consumption, ultimately increasing population densities, which result in greater crop injury and damage, and yield loss. Whereas these direct effects are empirically demonstrated for temperature rises, they are less straightforward for …

Insight On Fruit Fly Ipm Technology Uptake And Barriers To Scaling In Africa, Saliou Niassy, Beatrice Murithii, Evanson R. Omuse, Emily Kimathi, Henri Tonnang, Shepard Ndlela, Samira Mohamed, Sunday Ekesi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tephritid fruit flies are considered one of the world’s most notorious pests of horticultural crops, causing extensive direct and indirect damage. Over the past two decades, a comprehensive, integrated pest management (IPM) package for the management of a plethora of fruit fly pests, includ-ing Bactrocera dorsalis, B. latifrons, B. zonata, Ceratitis cosyra, C. rosa, C. fasciventris, C. quilici, C. capitata, Dacus spp. and Zeugodacus cucurbitae, has been developed, disseminated and promoted among horticultural growers in Africa. To estimate the numbers of beneficiaries reached by the fruit fly IPM technology and the barriers to technology uptake, we interviewed 290 experts in …

Insecticide Resistance In Australian Spodoptera Frugiperda (J.E. Smith) And Development Of Testing Procedures For Resistance Surveillance, Lisa Bird, Melina M. Miles, Adam Quade, Helen Spafford

Biosecurity Research Articles

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is a highly invasive noctuid pest first reported in northern Australia during early 2020. To document current status of resistance in S. frugiperda in Australia, insecticide toxicity was tested in field populations collected during the first year of establishment, between March 2020 and March 2021. Dose-response was measured by larval bioassay in 11 populations of S. frugiperda and a susceptible laboratory strain of Helicoverpa armigera. Emamectin benzoate was the most efficacious insecticide (LC50 0.023μg/ml) followed by chlorantraniliprole (LC50 0.055μg/ml), spinetoram (LC50 0.098μg/ml), spinosad (LC50 0.526μg/ml), and methoxyfenozide (1.413μg/ml). Indoxacarb was the least toxic …

Do The Invasive Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera Frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), And The Maize Lepidopteran Stemborers Compete When Sharing The Same Food?, Bonoukpoè Mawuko Sokame, Peter Malusi, Sevgan Subramanian, Dora Chao Kilalo, Gerald Juma, Paul André Calatayud

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

In insect communities, the outcome of intra- and inter-specific competitions for food utilisation depend primarily upon density and duration even inter-specific competitions can occur when they are not sharing the same feeding niche such as between foliar feeders and stemborers. Experimental manipulations of larval densities and the durations of common diet feeding of fall armyworm (FAW), S. frugiperda, and the African lepidopteran stemborers, Busseola fusca, Sesamia calamistis and Chilo partellus, were conducted to determine how the density and the duration of resource utilization affected larval survival and the relative growth rate (RGR) in intra- and inter-specific interactions. The results showed …

Potential Of Entomocomposting Toward Soil Pathogen Suppression, Dennis Beesigamukama, María Gómez-Brandón, Chrysantus Mbi Tanga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Waste accumulation and microbial pollution are key environmental challenges in most developing countries. Land filling, the commonest waste disposal method, is not sustainable due to land scarcity and point source pollution. Thus, a large fraction of organic wastes is not properly disposed, yet the conventional methods of waste recycling are less effective. The degradation of waste using insect life stages (entomocomposting) has emerged as a novel tool that is fast, affordable, and sustainable in recycling organic wastes with maximum pathogen suppression. This bioconversion process also generates an organic fertilizer with potential to enhance soil remediation and provide additional benefits on …

Performance Of Black Soldier Fly Frass Fertiliser On Maize (Zea Mays L.) Growth, Yield, Nutritional Quality, And Economic Returns, C. M. Tanga, D. Beesigamukama, M. Kassie, P. J. Egonyu, Changeh J. Ghemoh, Kiatoko Nkoba, S. Subramanian, A. O. Anyega, S. Ekesi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Although the black soldier fly frass fertiliser (BSFFF) is globally recognised as a promising and potential high-quality organic fertiliser, there is inadequate information on its impact on the growth performance and nutritional status of maize. Furthermore, no information exist on their combination with mineral fertiliser (NPK) as well as economic impact on maize production. This study evaluated the comparative impact of BSFFF, NPK and commercial organic fertiliser (Evergrow®) on growth, nitrogen use efficiency, yield, nutritional quality, and profitability of maize under greenhouse conditions. The treatments included: (1) sole application of BSFFF, conventional compost of brewers’ spent grain (BSG), Evergrow, and …

Economic And Ecological Values Of Frass Fertiliser From Black Soldier Fly Agro-Industrial Waste Processing, D. Beesigamukama, B. Mochoge, N. Korir, K. Menale, B. Muriithi, M. Kidoido, H. Kirscht, G. Diiro, C. J. Ghemoh, S. Sevgan, D. Nakimbugwe, M. W. Musyoka, S. Ekesi, C. M. Tanga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The sustainable utilisation of black soldier fly (BSF) for recycling organic waste into high-quality protein feed and organic fertiliser with a low environmental footprint is gaining momentum worldwide. Although BSF farming is becoming a rapidly growing agribusiness, studies on the BSF farming’s economic aspects are limited. This study analysed the economic benefits of farming BSF for animal feeds and composted frass, called frass fertiliser (FF) production using experimental data. The BSF larvae were fed on brewery spent grain amended with sawdust, biochar, and gypsum to determine the cost-effective feed and other by-products production. The agronomic performance of FF on the …

American Burying Beetle, Plant Richness, And Soil Property Responses To Collapse Of Juniperus Virginiana Woodlands With Fire, Alison K. Ludwig

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Grasslands are declining in the Great Plains due to land use changes, woody plant encroachment, and loss of historic fire cycles. Prescribed burn associations have utilized prescribed fire to collapse invading woodlands and allow the restoration of grasslands. This fire is considered “extreme” because it is capable of changing the structure and function of an ecosystem. Our study site is the Loess Canyons Experimental Landscape, a long-term, ecoregion-scale experiment to apply prescribed fire across the region to restore grasslands. The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project established the Loess Canyons ecoregion as a Biologically-Unique Landscape in 2005 with the state’s wildlife action …

Effects Of "Lemongrass Factor" On Galleria Mellonella Hemocytes, Jennifer C. Rice

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The use of conventional chemical insecticides to control agricultural pest has become problematic as they may have a negative impact towards human health and the environment, resulting in a need to research alternative methods to insect pest control. Plant derived substances like essential oils have been used for generations as toxicants, repellants, and anti-feedants to control agricultural pest. More research is needed to understand how insect immune systems react to essential oils and if cellular immune responses of phagocytosis, encapsulation, and nodulation can be inhibited by such. Subjecting Galleria mellonella to various concentrations of “lemongrass factor” lets the researcher/scientist know …

In Situ Nitrogen Mineralization And Nutrient Release By Soil Amended With Black Soldier Fly Frass Fertilizer, Dennis Beesigamukama, Benson Mochoge, Nicholas Korir, Changeh J. Ghemoh, Sevgan Subramanian, Chrysantus M. Tanga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Although black soldier fly frass fertilizer (BSFFF) is effective on crop performance, information on nitrogen (N) mineralization and nutrient release capacity of soils amended with BSFFF is lacking. This study utilized field incubation experiments to investigate the ammonification, nitrification, microbial populations, and quantities of nutrients released by soils amended with BSFFF and commercial organic fertilizer (SAFI) for a period equivalent to two maize cropping seasons. For the control treatment, no BSFFF or SAFI was added. Results indicated that most of the N in BSFFF amended soils was available in the ammonium form, while soils treated with SAFI had higher nitrate …

Whole Genome Comparisons Reveal Panmixia Among Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda) From Diverse Locations, Katrina A. Schlum, Kurt Lamour, Caroline Placidi De Bortoli, Rahul Banerjee, Robert Meagher, Eliseu Pereira, Maria Gabriela Murua, Gregory A. Sword, Ashley E. Tessnow, Diego Viteri Dillon, Angela M. Linares Ramirez, Komivi S. Akutse, Rebecca Schmidt-Jeffris, Fangneng Huang, Dominic Reisig, Scott J. Emrich, Juan Luis Jurat-Fuentes

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith)) is a highly polyphagous agricultural pest with long-distance migratory behavior threatening food security worldwide. This pest has a host range of > 80 plant species, but two host strains are recognized based on their association with corn (C-strain) or rice and smaller grasses (R-strain). The population genomics of the United States (USA) fall armyworm remains poorly characterized to date despite its agricultural threat. Results: In this study, the population structure and genetic diversity in 55 S. frugiperda samples from Argentina, Brazil, Kenya, Puerto Rico and USA were surveyed to further our understanding of …

Field Evaluation Of A New Third Generation Push-Pull Technology For Control Of Striga Weed, Stemborers, And Fall Armyworm In Western Kenya, Duncan Cheruiyot, Frank Chidawanyika, Charles A.O. Midega, Jimmy O. Pittchar, John A. Pickett, Zeyaur R. Khan

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Production of cereal crops in sub-Saharan Africa is threatened by parasitic striga weeds and attack by stemborers and the invasive fall armyworm (FAW), compounded by increasing hot and dry conditions. A climate-smart push-pull technology (PPT) significantly reduces effects of these biotic challenges. To improve further resilience of the system to climate change, more adapted and suitable companion plants were identified and integrated in a new version of PPT, termed 'third generation PPT'. Our study evaluates field performance and farmer opinions of this new version in comparison with the earlier version, climate-smart PPT, and farmers' own practices of growing maize in …

Mating Behaviour, Mate Choice And Female Resistance In The Bean Flower Thrips (Megalurothrips Sjostedti), Adeyemi O. Akinyemi, Sevgan Subramanian, David K. Mfuti, Tom W. Pope, Amanuel Tamiru, William D.J. Kirk

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Many species of thrips (Thysanoptera) in the family Thripidae form mating aggregations, but the adaptive significance of these aggregations and the extent of male and female mate choice is poorly understood. We studied the mating behaviour of the bean flower thrips Megalurothrips sjostedti (Trybom) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), which forms male aggregations and occurs across sub-Saharan Africa. We tested whether males choose mates by female age or mating status. No-choice mating bioassays with one male and one female were used to simulate the way males usually encounter only one female at a time in aggregations in the field. Virgin females violently resisted …

Farmer Perceptions And Willingness To Pay For Novel Livestock Pest Control Technologies: A Case Of Tsetse Repellent Collar In Kwale County In Kenya, Beatrice W. Muriithi, Nancy G. Gathogo, Gracious M. Diiro, Michael M. Kidoido, Michael Nyangánga Okal, Daniel K. Masiga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tsetse-transmitted Animal African Trypanosomosis (AAT) is one of the most important constraints to livestock development in Africa. Use of trypanocides has been the most widespread approach for the management of AAT, despite the associated drug resistance and health con-cerns associated with drug metabolites in animal products. Alternative control measures that target tsetse fly vectors of AAT, though effective, have been hard to sustain in part because these are public goods applied area-wide. The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) and partners have developed and implemented a novel tsetse repellent collar (TRC) applied on animals to limit contact of …

Characterization Of Resistance To Two Crambid Stem Borers Among Louisiana Sugarcane Cultivars, Leonardo D. Salgado

LSU Master's Theses

Cultivar resistance is a key management strategy for the stem borer complex (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in Louisiana sugarcane, but mechanisms of resistance are not well understood. This research evaluated the potential mechanisms of cultivar resistance to Diatraea saccharalis and Eoreuma loftini among commercial sugarcane cultivars and experimental clones through a series of field screenings, greenhouse trials, and diet incorporation assays. The stem borer resistant standard HoCP 85-845 and cultivar L 01-299 were among the cultivars with the lowest borer injury levels in both field and greenhouse trials. Cultivars HoCP 00-950, L 12-201, and HoCP 14-885 were among the most heavily injured …

Nocturnal Pollination In Fruit Agriculture, Stephen Robertson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Insect pollination in agriculture provides as much as 35% of the global food supply and contributes hundreds of billions of dollars to the global economy each year. In the past 30 years, reports of declining populations of managed and wild bees, notably the western honey bee (Apis mellifera) and a wide array of bumble bees (Bombus spp.), have raised concerns about the stability and outlook of agriculture. At the same time, agricultural dependence on insect pollinators is increasing as greater percentages of land being converted to pollinator-dependent crops, such as soy and oil palm, than pollinator-independent crops, such as grains …

Establishment Of Pollinator Habitat Within A Livestock Pasture Ecosystem, Roshani Sharma Acharya

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pollinators are important for fertilization, setting fruits, and seed development of more than 78% of the flowering plants that provide food for human beings and other species. Use of pollinators to maximize crop production is a proven agricultural practice; however, it has been less explored in livestock forage production systems. This study investigated pollinator abundance and diversity in pastures using different sampling methods and determined the impact of different pasture management practices on insect pollinators in a livestock pasture ecosystem. In Chapter 2, utility of four different colors of pan trap (blue, green, yellow, and purple) for sampling bees in …

Black Soldier Fly-Composted Organic Fertilizer Enhances Growth, Yield, And Nutrient Quality Of Three Key Vegetable Crops In Sub-Saharan Africa, Abel O. Anyega, Nicholas K. Korir, Dennis Beesigamukama, Ghemoh J. Changeh, Kiatoko Nkoba, Sevgan Subramanian, Joop J.A. Van Loon, Marcel Dicke, Chrysantus M. Tanga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Worldwide, French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), and kales (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala) are considered economically important food crops. There is a rapid decline in their yield due to severe soil degradation. Thus, high commercial fertilizer inputs are crucial, though they remain expensive and inaccessible to resource poor farmers. We investigated the comparative performance of composted black soldier fly frass fertilizer (BSFFF), conventionally composted brewer's spent grain (BSG), commercial organic fertilizer (Evergrow), and mineral [nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK)] fertilizer on growth, yield, N use efficiency, and nutritional quality (crude protein, crude fiber, crude fats, ash, …

Could Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera Frugiperda (J. E. Smith) Invasion In Africa Contribute To The Displacement Of Cereal Stemborers In Maize And Sorghum Cropping Systems, Girma Hailu, Saliou Niassy, Timon Bässler, Nathan Ochatum, Christoph Studer, Daisy Salifu, Mawufe K. Agbodzavu, Zeyaur R. Khan, Charles Midega, Sevgan Subramanian

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), which has recently invaded the African continent, has become a new threat to cereal production. Being an invasive pest with certain competitive advantages, the impact of FAW on other lepidopteran pests is unclear. This study assessed the infestation of FAW and cereal stemborers on maize and sorghum under mono-cropped systems that are adjacently placed in five districts in Uganda. Data on maize and sorghum infestation cereal stemborers and FAW was collected at 6, 9 and 16 weeks after planting (WAP), to determine intensity and severity. Cereal stemborer infestations on maize at 6, …

The Influence Of Singlet Oxygen And Loss Of Function Of Fatty Acid Desaturase 7 In The Chloroplast On Aphid Resistance In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Hillary Donna Fischer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fatty Acid Desaturase 7 (FAD7) is a chloroplast-localized enzyme that alters the fatty acid content of photosynthetic membranes, and that negatively regulates plant defenses against aphids. Previous studies in the model organism Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) have shown that loss-of-function mutations in FAD7 decrease population growth of the green peach aphid (GPA; Myzus persicae Sulzer). This study further characterized the effects of a fad7 null mutant on aphids, and investigated the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS), including singlet oxygen (1O2), in plant responses to aphid resistance in fad7 as well as in wild type plants and a mutant with heightened …

Rehabilitation Practices In Cocoa Agroforestry Systems Mitigate Outbreaks Of Termites And Support Cocoa Tree Development And Yield, Christian T.L. Djuideu, Hervé D.B. Bisseleua, Sévilor Kekeunou, Felicitas C. Ambele

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Most smallholder cocoa farmers in West Africa are not equipped with the necessary tools, techniques, and practices to rejuvenate their aging cocoa farms. Instead, they rather prefer to establish new cocoa farms at the expense of forest remnants. Poor management of their overaged farms has resulted in the emergence and outbreaks of new pest species such as termites feeding on the remaining productive trees and negatively affecting overall yield. We investigated how rehabilitation pruning of cocoa trees influences termite outbreaks and yield in three cocoa agroforestry systems (rustic, intermediate and full sun systems). We monitored cocoa and non-cocoa trees at …

Exploring The Kairomone-Based Foraging Behaviour Of Natural Enemies To Enhance Biological Control: A Review, Pascal M. Ayelo, Christian W.W. Pirk, Abdullahi A. Yusuf, Anaïs Chailleux, Samira A. Mohamed, Emilie Deletre

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Kairomones are chemical signals that mediate interspecific interactions beneficial to organisms that detect the cues. These attractants can be individual compounds or mixtures of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) or herbivore chemicals such as pheromones, i.e., chemicals mediating intraspecific communication between herbivores. Natural enemies eavesdrop on kairomones during their foraging behaviour, i.e., location of oviposition sites and feeding resources in nature. Kairomone mixtures are likely to elicit stronger olfactory responses in natural enemies than single kairomones. Kairomone-based lures are used to enhance biological control strategies via the attraction and retention of natural enemies to reduce insect pest populations and crop damage …

Impact Of The Exotic Fall Armyworm On Larval Parasitoids Associated With The Lepidopteran Maize Stemborers In Kenya, Bonoukpoè Mawuko Sokame, Julius Obonyo, Enock Mwangangi Sammy, Samira A. Mohamed, Sevgan Subramanian, Dora Chao Kilalo, Gerald Juma, Paul André Calatayud

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Exotic invasive insect herbivores have the potential to interfere with existing herbivore-natural enemy interactions in new environments. Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a new invasive pest in maize fields in Africa. Understanding the acceptability and suitability of FAW to existing maize stemborer-parasitoid interactions is the first step in elucidating the impact that this exotic insect pest can have on the existing natural enemies used in biological control of maize stemborers in Kenya. The most commonly used larval parasitoids for biological control programs against maize stemborer communities in East Africa are Cotesia flavipes Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) …