Spodoptera frugiperda: Insights into strain dynamics and dispersal in Türkiye
Phytoparasitica, cilt.54, sa.5, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 54 Sayı: 5
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s12600-026-01434-3
- Dergi Adı: Phytoparasitica
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, Zoological Record, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: COI, Fall armyworm, Host strains, Phylogenetic analysis, Spodoptera frugiperda, Türkiye
- Çukurova Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), the fall armyworm, is a highly invasive and polyphagous pest that poses an increasing threat to maize production worldwide. Since its first detection in Türkiye, information on the molecular structure and strain composition of local populations has remained limited. This study investigated the distribution, prevalence, and phylogenetic relationships of S. frugiperda strains in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of Türkiye during the 2024 and 2025 maize-growing seasons. Field surveys were conducted in Adana, Hatay, and Osmaniye, where maize is cultivated under a two-season production system. A total of 43 individuals were analyzed using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences. BLAST analysis confirmed all specimens as S. frugiperda and revealed the presence of both the rice strain (sfR) and corn strain (sfC). Overall, 23 individuals were assigned to sfR and 20 to sfC. In 2024, sfR was more frequent, whereas in 2025 sfC predominated. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Turkish samples clustered within two major strain-associated clades together with reference sequences from different geographic regions, indicating a mixed strain composition rather than geographic separation. Median-joining haplotype network analysis revealed two COI haplotypes among the Turkish samples, corresponding to the two major mitochondrial groups identified in the phylogenetic analysis. These findings provide baseline molecular information on the co-occurrence and haplotype composition of S. frugiperda strains in southern Türkiye. The results highlight the value of continued molecular surveillance to better understand strain dynamics and population connectivity in the region.