Growth and Feeding Fitness Response of Fall Armyworm <em>Spodoptera frugiperda</em> (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) towards Different Host Plants

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is one of the major migratory polyphagous insect pests of various crops. The essential nutrient and mineral profile of host plants determines the feeding fitness of herbivorous insects. As a result, growth and development of insects is affected. To determine the effect of nutrient and mineral profile of different host plants (maize, castor bean, cotton, cabbage, okra and sugarcane) on the growth and development of S. frugiperda, biological parameters like larval weight, pupal weight (male/female), feeding and growth indices were calculated. The proximate compositions and mineral contents of the tested host plants showed a significant difference (p&amp;lt;0.5). Better nutrients were observed in castor bean and maize host plants. The growth indices on these host plants also showed the statistical difference (p&amp;lt;0.05) except efficiency of ingested food (p&amp;gt;0.05). The maximum relative growth rate (RGR), relative consumption rate (RCR) and consumption index (CI) were recorded in S. frugiperda larvae that fed on maize and castor bean leaves. Larval, male and female pupal weights were the maximum in the larvae feeding on castor bean host plant. In case of fitness indices, the highest larval growth, pupal growth, standard growth and fitness indices were observed in S. frugiperda larvae that fed on maize. The findings of the present study highlight the dynamic growth and development of S. frugiperda larvae on maize plants and provide novel information based on nutritional ecology to develop sustainable integrated pest management strategies using selective crop rotation and limiting alternative host plants.