Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): Inheritance of Gamma-Induced Deleterious Effects and Potential for Pest Control1

Male Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) were exposed to sub sterilizing dosages (6, 8, and 10 krad) of gamma radiation and mated with untreated females. The inherited deleterious effects resulting from the irradiated P, males were observed for several generations. Reduced fecundity and egg hatch, together with an increased incidence of larval and adult mortality, were expressions of the inherited deleterious genes. The data obtained from this study were used in a theoretical model to assess the feasibility of employing these genetically altered insects and their progeny in S. frugiperda control. In this model, a single release of 10-krad males produced suppressive action for at least three generations.