Identification of Egg Parasitoids of the Fall Armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Maize Production Centers of East Lombok Regency

Abstract

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is a major invasive pest of maize that causes substantial economic losses in Indonesia. The use of egg parasitoids as natural enemies represents an environmentally friendly alternative for biological control. This study aimed to document the egg-parasitoid taxa associated with S. frugiperda in maize fields in Pringgabaya District, East Lombok Regency, characterize their community structure based on parasitoid abundance, diversity, evenness, and dominance, and quantify the observed egg parasitism rate during the sampling period. The study was conducted from August to October 2025 using an observational descriptive survey in three major maize-producing villages in Pringgabaya District, East Lombok Regency. At each location, five plots measuring 5 × 5 m were established following a zig-zag sampling pattern. Egg masses of S. frugiperda were collected from the field, reared until parasitoid emergence, and identified based on morphological characters. The results showed that two parasitoid taxa were recorded from S. frugiperda egg masses, namely Telenomus remus Nixon (Scelionidae) and an unidentified Trichogramma species (Trichogrammatidae). T. remus dominated the egg parasitoid community with the highest parasitism rate of T. remus was 79.86% at Teko 2, whereas the lowest was 36.96% at Teko 1. The low diversity index (H' = 0.000–0.031) and high dominance index (D = 0.990–1.000) indicate that the parasitoid community was dominated by a single species.