Performance and Enzyme Activity of Beet Armyworm Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Under Various Nutritional Conditions

We explored the influence of the artificial diets with different protein and glucose contents on larval development, fecundity and enzyme activities of the beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua (Hübner). Our results suggested that development, fecundity and population growth index of beet armyworm increased with increased nutritional content in the artificial diets; however, when the yeast to cellulose content ratio reached 46.8:53.2, the fecundity and population growth had reached a maximum and additional protein did not yield additional growth. Additionally, 3rd instar beet armyworm larvae fed on different artificial diets had increased enzymatic activities of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) with the increased nutritional content, but carboxylesterase (CarE) activities did not significantly change under variation in the nutritional content.