Studies on the Artificial Diet for Beet Armyworm, Spodoptera exigua

Based on our previously reported artificial diet for Spodoptera exigua (Hubner), a modified artificial diet, which could support the development of beet armyworm more satisfactory, had been developed by adding five micro compositions and reducing 50% casein of the diet. The results showed that beet armyworm reared on the modified diet not only had high survival rate, eggs laid per female and short larval development period as the previously reported diet, but also had higher hatching rate after reared consecutively for 12 generations. Now the modified diet had been used in the mass rearing beet armyworm for multiplying Spodoptera exigua nuclear polyhedrosis virus.