Archytas marmoratus (Diptera: Tachinidae): screened-cage performance of mechanically extracted maggots against larval populations of Heliothis zea and Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on whorl and early tassel-stage corn

Mechanically extracted maggots of Archytas marmoratus (Townsend) were evaluated against larva populations of Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) and Heliothis zea (Boddie) in whorl and early tassel-stage sweet corn, Zea mays L., grown within 1.8-m3 screened cages. A. marmoratus maggots applied in an aqueous carrier at 5.4, 10.9, and 21.7 per plant against late-instar S. frugiperda reduced subsequent adult emergence by 40.2, 56.6, and 66.5%, respectively. A. marmoratus maggots applied at 5.5, 12.5, and 25.0 per plant against late-instar H. zea reduced subsequent adult emergence by 56.0, 56.9, and 81.9%, respectively. Maggots applied on the soil surface at rates to 25 per 100 cm2 against larvae of S. frugiperda in search of pupation sites had no significant effect on the subsequent emergence of adult moths. Likewise, volumes of aqueous carrier at rates of 0.05–1.25 ml per plant had no effect on the performance of A. marmoratus maggots against H. zea larvae in corn.