Genetic variation associated with increased lambda-cyhalothrin resistance in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in West Africa

Abstract The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is a new serious destructive and widespread pest of corn which recently invaded subtropical regions worldwide. As this invasive species is spreading across the continent, it is vital to assess its susceptibility to currently used insectic...

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Main Authors: Eric Tossou, Ghislain T. Tepa-Yotto, Georg Goergen, Genevieve M. Tchigossou, Magellan Tchouakui, Daniel Nguiffo Nguete, Laouali Amadou, Moussa Noussourou, Aimé H. Bokonon-Ganta, Charles Wondji, Manuele Tamò, Rousseau Djouaka
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Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99196-1
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author Eric Tossou
Ghislain T. Tepa-Yotto
Georg Goergen
Genevieve M. Tchigossou
Magellan Tchouakui
Daniel Nguiffo Nguete
Laouali Amadou
Moussa Noussourou
Aimé H. Bokonon-Ganta
Charles Wondji
Manuele Tamò
Rousseau Djouaka
author_facet Eric Tossou
Ghislain T. Tepa-Yotto
Georg Goergen
Genevieve M. Tchigossou
Magellan Tchouakui
Daniel Nguiffo Nguete
Laouali Amadou
Moussa Noussourou
Aimé H. Bokonon-Ganta
Charles Wondji
Manuele Tamò
Rousseau Djouaka
author_sort Eric Tossou
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is a new serious destructive and widespread pest of corn which recently invaded subtropical regions worldwide. As this invasive species is spreading across the continent, it is vital to assess its susceptibility to currently used insecticides and establish the potential underlying resistance mechanism to better inform control programmes. In this study, we characterized the strains from eighteen fall armyworm populations from different countries in West Africa, established their susceptibility profiles to the main insecticides and genotyped the target site resistance alleles. The RFLP-PCR method showed that the majority of the population tested was a corn strain (72.5–100%) compared to the probable rice strain (0–27.5%). Tpi sequencing of the suspected rice strains revealed that almost all the samples analysed were from corn (> 97%). Additionally, the three insecticides tested, λ-cyhalothrin, chlorpyrifos and emamectin benzoate induced susceptible to moderate toxicity against this pest. Synergism tests performed to investigate the biochemical mechanism used by fall armyworm to breakdown λ-cyhalothrin indicated that metabolic enzymes (oxydases, esterase and the glutathion-S-transferase) play moderate roles in the resistance of λ-cyhalothrin observed in western Africa. Target mutation tests (qPCR) combined with previous synergetic tests showed that resistance to organophosphates and pyrethroids could be due to a biochemical mechanism + amino acid mutations (presence of the F290V mutation) or a biochemical mechanism (absence of the T929I mutation), respectively. The results of this study provide valuable information for supporting decisions related to sustainable fall armyworm control and applied resistance management.
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spelling doaj-art-490b72392ae14b3db8bbd519f747d0f22025-08-20T04:01:26ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111610.1038/s41598-025-99196-1Genetic variation associated with increased lambda-cyhalothrin resistance in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in West AfricaEric Tossou0Ghislain T. Tepa-Yotto1Georg Goergen2Genevieve M. Tchigossou3Magellan Tchouakui4Daniel Nguiffo Nguete5Laouali Amadou6Moussa Noussourou7Aimé H. Bokonon-Ganta8Charles Wondji9Manuele Tamò10Rousseau Djouaka11Agroecohealth Unit , International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Biorisk Management Facility (BIMAF), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA-Benin)Biorisk Management Facility (BIMAF), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA-Benin)Agroecohealth Unit , International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID)Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID)National Institute of Agricultural Research (INRAN)Institute of Rural Economy (IER)Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology (LEAg), Faculty of Agronomic Sciences (FSA), University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC)Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID)Biorisk Management Facility (BIMAF), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA-Benin)Agroecohealth Unit , International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Abstract The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is a new serious destructive and widespread pest of corn which recently invaded subtropical regions worldwide. As this invasive species is spreading across the continent, it is vital to assess its susceptibility to currently used insecticides and establish the potential underlying resistance mechanism to better inform control programmes. In this study, we characterized the strains from eighteen fall armyworm populations from different countries in West Africa, established their susceptibility profiles to the main insecticides and genotyped the target site resistance alleles. The RFLP-PCR method showed that the majority of the population tested was a corn strain (72.5–100%) compared to the probable rice strain (0–27.5%). Tpi sequencing of the suspected rice strains revealed that almost all the samples analysed were from corn (> 97%). Additionally, the three insecticides tested, λ-cyhalothrin, chlorpyrifos and emamectin benzoate induced susceptible to moderate toxicity against this pest. Synergism tests performed to investigate the biochemical mechanism used by fall armyworm to breakdown λ-cyhalothrin indicated that metabolic enzymes (oxydases, esterase and the glutathion-S-transferase) play moderate roles in the resistance of λ-cyhalothrin observed in western Africa. Target mutation tests (qPCR) combined with previous synergetic tests showed that resistance to organophosphates and pyrethroids could be due to a biochemical mechanism + amino acid mutations (presence of the F290V mutation) or a biochemical mechanism (absence of the T929I mutation), respectively. The results of this study provide valuable information for supporting decisions related to sustainable fall armyworm control and applied resistance management.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99196-1Fall armywormInsecticide resistanceTarget site mutationsC-strainR-strainResistance management
spellingShingle Eric Tossou
Ghislain T. Tepa-Yotto
Georg Goergen
Genevieve M. Tchigossou
Magellan Tchouakui
Daniel Nguiffo Nguete
Laouali Amadou
Moussa Noussourou
Aimé H. Bokonon-Ganta
Charles Wondji
Manuele Tamò
Rousseau Djouaka
Genetic variation associated with increased lambda-cyhalothrin resistance in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in West Africa
Scientific Reports
Fall armyworm
Insecticide resistance
Target site mutations
C-strain
R-strain
Resistance management
title Genetic variation associated with increased lambda-cyhalothrin resistance in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in West Africa
title_full Genetic variation associated with increased lambda-cyhalothrin resistance in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in West Africa
title_fullStr Genetic variation associated with increased lambda-cyhalothrin resistance in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in West Africa
title_full_unstemmed Genetic variation associated with increased lambda-cyhalothrin resistance in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in West Africa
title_short Genetic variation associated with increased lambda-cyhalothrin resistance in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in West Africa
title_sort genetic variation associated with increased lambda cyhalothrin resistance in spodoptera frugiperda lepidoptera noctuidae in west africa
topic Fall armyworm
Insecticide resistance
Target site mutations
C-strain
R-strain
Resistance management
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99196-1
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