Characterization of cell lines derived from the southern armyworm, Spodoptera eridania

Spodoptera eridania (southern armyworm) is a polyphagous pest of many plants, including field crops, vegetables, fruits, and ornamentals. Larvae are leaf feeders, defoliating many crops in the tropics and subtropics of the western hemisphere. In this study, cell lines from S. eridania were established to support research focused on the development of advanced pest management technologies. We generated seven cell lines from larval tissues: three from nervous tissues, two from testes, and two from fat bodies. These cell lines have been passaged 18–57 times, indicating they are established lines. They are maintained in EX-CELL 420 or a combination of L15 + EX-CELL 420 media. The identities of the cell lines were confirmed by DAF-PCR and their doubling times ranged from 42 to 110 h. Microscopy indicated the presence of one or more morphologically distinct cell types in each cell line. We identified a catalase gene in all seven cell lines. H2O2 treatment suppressed the expression of catalase and led to a reduction in catalase activity. This is the first report of cell lines established from S. eridania, and these cell lines are now available to researchers worldwide on request.