Progress in Biological Control of Spodoptera frugiperda

Spodoptera frugiperda is an extremely destructive pest native to tropical and subtropical areas in the Americas. It causes devastating damage to almost 180 crop plants, posing a serious threat to food security. The remarkable flight capacity of over 100 km per night of the adult moths makes the infestation spread wide and rapid. Since 2019 when S. frugiperda first invaded China, 26 provinces have been affected by it with a threat of spreading farther to the northern part of the nation. Hence, the prevention and control of the pest is paramount but a long-term, arduous task. Application of chemical insecticides for the pest control is a common practice here and abroad but carries the inevitable side-effect of resistance development in the insects and pollution on the environment. As an ecologically friendly means, the use of biological agents would be an ideal alternative in effectively combating and sustainably managing the S. frugiperda infestation. This article summarizes the potential approaches cited in literature including the applications of entomophagous insects (i.e., parasitoids and predators), pathogenic microorganisms (e.g., bacteria, nematodes, pathogenic fungi, and viruses), plant-derived pesticides, and/or sex pheromone.