Microbiome of the larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda

The aim of the present study is to examine the microbiome associated with the larvae of fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda and to determine their potential as biocontrol agents. We hypothesized that the microbiomes of S. frugiperda harbors microbial consortia of considerable ecological and economic importance and that gut microbiomes of fall armyworm plays a role in biological control of pests and diseases. To test the hypotheses, we investigated the microbial diversity of fall armyworm larvae collected from maize plants in Nigeria. We also discussed the potential functional roles of the identified microbiota and the impacts of different environment on the microbial composition of the gut of fall armyworm larvae.