Silvana Paula-Moraes

University of Florida -UF · West Florida Research and Education Center - WFREC

The invasive land snail Bulimulus bonariensis has become a significant pest in the Southern United States. This pest poses a threat to various crops, including cotton, citrus, and peanut, leading to potential yield losses, irrigation issues, and food contamination. This study investigated the effects of tillage and calcium fertilization on snail po...

Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a polyphagous pest impacting numerous economic crops. This impact is facilitated by its long-range dispersal capacity, which can lead to the colonization of new cultivated areas in the agricultural landscape and the potential spread of insecticide-resistant populations. Despite these negative imp...

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is a polyphagous pest in the Americas and a target of Bt crops. A study from 2011-2013 demonstrated practical resistance of S. frugiperda to Cry1F maize in the southeastern coastal region of the U.S. In this study, diet-overlay and leaf tissue bioassays were conducted to determine the susceptibility to four...

BACKGROUND Transgenic Bt technology in soybean, with plants expressing Cry1Ac, has been adopted as an insect pest management tool. It was first adopted in large areas of South America and Asia in 2013. The risk of resistance in target pests to this technology demands insect resistance management (IRM) programs. In Brazil, a structured refuge (area...

Helicoverpa zea. Photograph by E.S. Calixto /WFREC/UF. See https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvae034 pgs 487-497.

Insect migrations have ecological and economic impacts, particularly in agriculture. However, there is limited knowledge about the migratory movements of pests at the continental scale, which is an important factor influencing the spread of resistance genes. Understanding the migratory patterns of economic pests, like Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), is e...

Brassica carinata is a non-food industrial oilseed crop that can be grown in the winter in the southeast US without impacting food, feed, or fiber crops. Carinata is a low carbon advanced renewable fuel feedstock and a good source of animal protein. Carinata research in the SE US through a public-private partnership has developed a comprehensive bo...

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and several Asian countries, maize continues to be a major staple food for millions of people. It plays an important role in food and nutrition security and as a source of income. Pests and diseases, however, are the primary biotic constraints to maize productivity in these countries. The recent invasion of the fall army...

Cotton leafroll dwarf virus (CLRDV) is an emerging aphid-borne pathogen infecting cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., in the southern United States (U.S.). The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, infests cotton annually and is the only known vector to transmit CLRDV to cotton. Seven other species have been reported to feed on, but not often infest, cot...

Transgenic corn and cotton that produce Cry and Vip3Aa toxins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are widely planted in the United States to control lepidopteran pests. The sustainability of these Bt crops is threatened because the corn earworm/bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), is evolving a resistance to these toxins. Using Bt sweet corn as...

Peanut is one of the most important cash crops grown in the United States, with an estimated production value of over $1 billion. The southeastern coastal plains harbor most of the US peanut acreage, and Florida is ranked among the top five major peanut producers in the US, with 160 thousand acres planted in 2022 and an annual production value of $...

BACKGROUND Helicoverpa zea, an economic pest in the south‐eastern United States, has evolved practical resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry toxins in maize and cotton. Insect resistance management (IRM) programs have historically required planting of structured non‐Bt maize, but because of its low adoption, the use of seed blends has been...

Because of H. zea resistance to Bt toxins, there is renewed interest in cotton IPM, including adjusting planting date. Later planted crops often receive more damage or support larger populations of Heliothinae pests, but this has not been well-documented in cotton. We explored the effects of planting date relative to Heliothinae pests in cotton acr...

In North America, weather and host-plant abundance drive the population dynamics of the migratory pest Helicoverpa zea. The objectives of this study were to (i) estimate monthly abundance of H. zea moths in Bt cotton and peanut fields, (ii) document the effects of weather on H. zea trap catches, and (iii) determine larval hosts supporting H. zea po...

Elasmopalpus lignosellus Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), the lesser cornstalk borer (LCSB), is an economically important peanut pest in the southeastern U.S. region, and its occurrence and abundance have been associated with warm and dry conditions. In the Northwestern Florida Panhandle (USA), the LCSB occurrence and abundance are unknown. Thus, a...

After resistance is first detected, continued resistance monitoring can inform decisions on how to effectively manage resistant populations. We monitored for resistance to Cry1Ac (2018 and 2019) and Cry2Ab2 (2019) from southeastern USA populations of Helicoverpa zea. We collected larvae from various plant hosts, sib-mated the adults, and tested neo...

Solutions for managing the growing populations of the snail Bulimulus bonariensis (Rafinesque, 1833) in row crops, notably peanut ( Arachis hypogaea L.), are urgently needed in the United States. This species has become a concern to the economy and food security for infesting commercial crops in U.S. southern states. In the present study, sampling,...

The genus Helicoverpa includes several agricultural pests globally. Helicoverpa armigera was reported in several countries in SouthAmerica in 2013, and inPuertoRico, in 2014. This territory is considered an agricultural hub, with a high-input system of seed production in the southern region of the island, and also at the edge of the continental U.S...

This publication discusses several aspects of field corn production in Florida, such as economics, land preparation, hybrid selection, fertilization, irrigation, and disease management. Written by David Wright, Ian Small, Cheryl Mackowiak, Zane Grabau, Pratap Devkota, and Silvana Paula-Moraes, and published by the UF/IFAS Agronomy Department, revis...

Overwintering success is an important determinant of arthropod populations that must be considered as climate change continues to influence the spatiotemporal population dynamics of agricultural pests. Using a long-term monitoring database and biologically relevant overwintering zones, we modeled the annual and seasonal population dynamics of a com...

Picture-winged flies (Diptera: Ulidiidae) are the most damaging insect pests of sweet corn (Zea mays L.) produced in Florida for the fresh market. Management of these pests, referred to as corn silk flies, relies on frequent pyrethroid applications targeting adults. In response to the need for an insecticide resistance management (IRM) program for...

The genus Helicoverpa (Hardwick) includes several species of agricultural pests around the world. The polyphagous pest Helicoverpa armigera reported in several countries in South America in 2013, was reported in Puerto Rico in 2014. However, information about the impact of this invasive species on field crops is still needed. The objective of this...

Pheromone trapping is a common scouting method used in collaboration with integrated pest management. A major crop pest of many plant species, including Panhandle crops like peanut and cotton, is the soybean looper. A soybean looper pheromone-trapping study performed in Panhandle commercial peanut and cotton fields also attracted other species with...

In the United States, beet armyworm resistance to both chlorantraniliprole and bifenthrin insecticides was first reported in 2020. Here we examined beet armyworm fitness and stability of resistance to chlorantraniliprole and pyrethroid insecticides since knowledge of the stability of resistance is a crucial aspect when recommending rotation of inse...

Although defoliation economic thresholds (ETs) in soybean are well-established, there are concerns about Spodoptera spp. and Helicoverpa spp. damaging soybean pods and flowers. Moreover, S. eridania is the most common species of its genus feeding on soybean in Brazil. On this account, we quantified the feeding of S. eridania larvae on leaves, pods...

Tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Hemiptera: Miridae), is an economically damaging pest in cotton production systems across the southern United States. We systematically scouted 120 commercial cotton fields across five southeastern states during susceptible growth stages in 2019 and 2020 to investigate sampling optimization and the effect of i...

Chysodeixis includens (Walker) is a polyphagous economic pest in agricultural landscapes. To detect the occurrence of this pest in the field, trapping using sex pheromone lures is often implemented. However, other plusiine species are cross-attracted to these lures and may be misidentified as C. includens due to their morphological similarities. Th...

Novel strategies for the management of soybean looper, Chrysodeixis includens (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), are needed due to its increasing importance, costs, and challenges of management in soybeans (Glycine max [L.] Merr.; Fabaceae) in the Americas. Pheromone-mediated mating disruption may be 1 such novel strategy, but an effective tool for...

Walton’ (Reg. no. CV‐146, PI 695073) is a virginia‐type peanut (Arachis hypogaea L. subsp. hypogaea var. hypogaea) with desirable agronomic characteristics and yield stability in the northernmost peanut growing region of the United States, the Virginia–Carolina (VC) region. Walton was tested under the experimental designation 08x09‐3‐14‐1 and was r...

Developmental changes in target-pest susceptibility to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins matter to resistance management in Bt crops, especially in certain refuge modalities. We determined the cumulative, lethal and sublethal effects of Bt corn hybrids during the larval stages of Bt-resistant populations of fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Le...

Soybean is an established crop with a high production value in the United States. The insects that utilize soybean as a food source have changed drastically over the last 20 yr. Much of the extension literature summarizing pest species distribution and abundance is out of date. This article provides profiles for five common soybean caterpillars, in...

The distribution of lepidopteran pests in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is a current knowledge gap limiting accurate prioritization of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) research. Regional characterizations of lepidopteran distribution in soybean are now more than 25 yr old. The goal of this study was to generate a contemporary assessment of the d...

Brassica carinata has the potential to become an economical biofuel winter crop in the Southeast United States. An IPM program is needed to provide management recommendations for B. carinata in the region. This study serves as the first steps in the developing IPM tactics documenting pest occurrence, pest position within the canopy, and the impact...

Previous studies have reported that the corn earworm/bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), has developed field resistance to pyramided Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry1A/Cry2A maize and cotton in certain areas of the southeastern United States. The objective of the current study was to determine the current status and distribution of the resistance to...

The first detection of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Brazil pointed to a gloomy future for South American agriculture in the 2012/2013 harvest, and insecticide sales increased exponentially during 2013 and 2014. However, after this outbreak, the population of this insect returned to manageable levels. This study document...

The corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), is a major pest targeted by pyramided Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn and cotton in the U.S. Cry1Ab is one of the first insecticidal toxins used in Bt crops, while Vip3A is a relatively new toxin that has recently been incorporated into Cry corn with event MIR 162 and Cry cotton varieties to generate pyr...

Feltia subterranea (Fabricius), commonly known as the granulate cutworm, is a common species of owlet moths (Noctuidae) of major agricultural importance, widely distributed in Nearctic and Neotropical regions. This study was conducted to determine the species biological parameters, gather information about its larval host plants, and assess the agr...

Insecticidal toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are valuable tools for pest management worldwide, contributing to the management of human disease insect vectors and phytophagous insect pests of agriculture and forestry. Here, we report the effects of dual and triple Bt toxins expressed in transgenic cotton cultivars on the fitness and demograp...

Helicoverpa armigera is a pest of several crops causing significant economic impact. We evaluated the insect development on different vegetative and reproductive structures of cotton, maize, and soybean compared to artificial diet. One hundred individuals were evaluated per structure (cotton leaves and bolls; maize leaves, grains, and silk; soybean...

BACKGROUND Pesticide resistance is a growing issue worldwide, and susceptibility of pest populations should be monitored in migratory intersection regions for successful resistance management. We determined the susceptibility of eight noctuid species from the Florida Panhandle to bifenthrin (pyrethroid) and chlorantraniliprole (diamide). Larvae fro...

Insecticidal toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are valuable tools for pest management worldwide, contributing to the management of human disease insect vectors and phytophagous insect pests of agriculture and forestry. Here, we report the effects of dual and triple Bt toxins expressed in transgenic cotton cultivars on the fitness and demograp...

Non-random oviposition preference by target pest species on Bt and non-Bt refuge plants may increase the proportion of the population under selection pressure, reducing the value of the refuge strategy for resistance management. Here, we tested the oviposition preference for Bt over non-Bt plants and the damage-avoiding oviposition behavior of moth...

Hybridization between invasive and native species has raised global concern, given the dramatic increase in species range shifts and pest outbreaks due to anthropogenic dispersal. Nevertheless, secondary contact between sister lineages of local and invasive species provides a natural laboratory to understand the factors that determine introgression...

Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is an aggressive invasive species in many parts of the world, including the southeastern USA. The objectives of this study were to document S. invicta occurrence and predation potential of lepidopteran pests in peanut and cotton fields in the Florida Panhandle. The predation potential of S. invicta...

An important step to devise appropriate pest management strategies for armyworms (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) crops is to determine the lethal, sublethal, and parental effects of Bt toxins on target and nontarget pest species. Here we documented the susceptibility of black armyworm, Spodoptera cosmioides (Walker)...

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) varieties of soybean and cotton have been widely adopted in South America, but defoliation by the southern armyworm Spodoptera eridania (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) has increased in these crops. This issue may be linked to the low inherent susceptibility of the larvae to some Bt toxins. However, this hy-pothesis was not yet...

Hybridization between invasive and native species has raised global concern given the dramatic increase in species range shifts and pest outbreaks due to climate change, development of suitable agroecosystems, and anthropogenic dispersal. Nevertheless, secondary contact between sister lineages of local and invasive species provides a natural labora...

Knowledge of dispersal and spatial dynamics of pest populations is fundamental for implementation of integrated pest management and integrated resistance management. This study evaluated 1) the effectiveness of egg white albumin protein to mark larvae and adults of two polyphagous and highly mobile pests, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (fall ar...

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), a native to the Americas and recently reported in Africa, Germany, the Netherlands and India, is a significant pest of many crop species. Although a widespread and important pest, information on its biology and development are incomplete and require detailed stud...

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797), is the most important noctuid pest in the Americas and has recently become an invasive pest in Africa and in India. Having a detailed and standardized record of the biology and the larval development of S. frugiperda will be critical to further studies on integrated pest management, toxi...

Helicoverpa armigera Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a pest of major agricultural crops, such as soybean and cotton. A better understanding of larval movement is important for its integrated management and resistance management. Studies with neonates through second instar larvae are still limited by the difficulties involving the handling and ob...

The corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a major target pest of pyramided Bt maize and cotton in the U.S. In 2017 and 2018, notable ear damage and larval survival of H. zea were observed on pyramided Cry1A.105/Cry2Ab2 maize in some fields in northeast Louisiana, U.S. The objective of this study was to determine if the...

The use of GMO expressing Bt toxin in soybean production has increased significantly in the last years in Brazil in order to manage the damage caused by lepidopteran pests. In this study, we compared the richness and abundance of owlet moths (Noctuoidea) associated with Bt and non-Bt soybean. We determined the temporal variations as a function of p...

Brassica carinata is an annual oilseed crop used for the commercial production of jet fuel. One of the challenges to commercialization of this crop in the southeastern United States has been frost damage. This 4-page fact sheet discusses symptomology and ways to minimize risk of frost damage to carinata. Written by Michael J. Mulvaney, Ramdeo Seepa...

Given the increasing importance of Elaphria agrotina (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in corn crops, especially in the Brazilian Savannah biome, the present research aimed to study its development and survival on Greene’s and Poitout & Bues’s artificial diets (25±1°C, 70±10% relative humidity [RH] and 12h photophase). Poitout & Bues’s diet was mor...

How much and when it rains, freezes, and thaws can make the difference between boom and bust for a year's crop. However, temperature can predict more than boom or bust. Atmospheric temperature can predict the growth rates of many plants. For this reason, growers use a concept called growing degree-days (GDD), sometimes called heat units. This 5-pag...

Evidence of practical resistance of Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to Bt cotton in the United States is debatable, supported with occasional reports of boll damage in the field. Our objective was to provide both empirical and long-term observational evidence of practical resistance by linking both in-season and end-of-season meas...

We performed molecular and biological characterizations of immature stages of Helicoverpa armigera Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) using insects from different states in Brazil, and different host plants. Three laboratory colonies of H. armigera were established with insects from the states of São Paulo, Bahia, and Distrito Federal, that were colle...

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is the most important noctuid pest in the Americas and has recently become an invasive pest in Africa. A detailed record of S. frugiperda’s host plants is essential to better understand the biology and ecology of this pest, conduct future studies, and develop Inte...

Natural biological control is one of the major causes responsible for reduction of pest population in agricultural ecosystem. However, natural biological control importance is usually minimized by not being estimated. This study reports the occurrence of Campoletis sonorensis (Cameron, 1886) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Archytas marmoratus (Townse...

This book contains 16 chapters focusing on the major arthropod, insect and nematode pests of tropical cereals, legumes, root and tuber crops, sugarcane, cotton, vegetables, bananas, citrus, oil palms, tea, cocoa and coffee and forest trees. The benefits of the integration of various control methods in the management of these arthropod, insect and n...

The identification of factors responsible for the population dynamics is fundamental for pest management, since losses can reach 18% of annual production. Besides regular seasonal environmental factors and crop managements, additional supra-annual meteorological phenomena can also affect population dynamics, although its relevance has been rarely i...

Chrysodeixis includens (Walker, [1858]) is currently the main plusiine pest in the Americas, not only because of the damage caused to soybean, but also with several crop species in a broad geographical range. However, its population dynamics is still poorly understood, despite outbreak records that are common across different locations in the Ameri...

BACKGROUND: Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is one of the major pests of maize, and is in the same feeding guild of the noctuid pests, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), and Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), recently reported in South and North America. The intraguild interactions of these species were assessed in laboratory and f...

This study aimed to evaluate the biotic potential and life table of individuals of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) from different host plants (citrus, corn, and cotton) and Brazilian states (São Paulo, Distrito Federal, and Bahia) in artificial diet, under laboratory conditions (25 ± 1°C, 70 ± 10% RH, 14 h photophase). The longevity, pre-, post- and...

Background: Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is one of the major pests of maize, and is in the same feeding guild of the noctuid pests, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), and Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), recently reported in South and North America. The intraguild interactions of these species were assessed in laboratory and...

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) and the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) are among the main pests of maize. Both species exhibit cannibalistic behavior and quite often share the same feeding guild in maize (maize ears), which can result in several interspecific and intraspecific interactions. Paired interaction scenario...