Authors; S.Thuku ^1,2,3 ( stephenthuku254@gmail.com ), D.Apio ^1,2,3 ( deborahapio50@gmail.com ) , T.Gomes ^1,2,3 ( tembegomes@gmail.com ), B.Lyabagaga ^1,2,3 ( Blyabagaga@gmail.com ), G. Ntawizera ^1,2,3 ( ntawizeragonzarve@gmail.com ), D.Cugala ^1,2 ( dcugala@gmail.com ) P.Wigner ^1,2,3 ( wignertima.patricio@gmail.com ), T. Agostinho ^1,2,3 ( teojanny@gmail.com )

¹ Faculty of Agronomy and Forestry Engineering, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique

² Department of Crop Protection, Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique, Maputo

³ Center of Excellence in Agri-Food Systems and Nutrition, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique

INTRODUCTION

Fall armyworm is a foreign and extremely destructive pest that has become a significant threat to maize production in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Mozambique. Farmers in the Sabie are unexceptional; they are exposed to direct damage to crops and economic loss through the effect of the pest on marketability and potential yield. Lack of sustainable control requires an immediate study on sustainable management options.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of the current research was to determine the occurrence and parasitism of FAW egg parasitoids within Moamba.

METHODOLOGY

Surveys were conducted from 17-21 March 2025, 19 smallholder maize fields in the Sabie, locations. Systematic "W" sampling and random was used to collect data on FAW infestation, leaf damage, egg mass presence, and parasitoid emergence. Parasitoid identification was done in the laboratory. Descriptive statistics were used for data summarization, while ANOVA and Tukey Test compared means across sites and parasitoid species. A Two-Sample t-test assessed parasitism rate differences between fall armyworm and stem borer

RESULTS

Results showed high FAW infestation levels, especially in Sabie Sede and Daimane, with average infestation rates of over 80%. Appearance of egg parasitoids revealed the existence of two prevailing species: Telenomus remus and Trichogramma mwanzai . T. remus was more widespread and prevalent, representing most egg parasitism, especially in Daimane and Gavaza. Even though parasitism levels differed between sites, the highest overall parasitism was observed in Diamane (24.04%) under random sampling. Comparative analysis revealed significantly higher T remus parasitism of FAW egg masses than local stemborers. Spatial variation was also confirmed in the infestation rates, parasitoid densities, and parasitism levels among the sampling sites.

CONCLUSION

These results highlight the importance of parasitoids, especially T. remus , in playing a role in the facilitation of FAW biological control. Being able to have a reference point in parasitoid distribution and efficiency allows for the formulation of IPM programs that minimize pesticide reliance with increased ecological resilience.

Keywords; FAW, Egg-parasitoids, Occurrence