ABSTRACT Lepidopteran pests, such as Spodoptera frugiperda and Diatraea saccharalis , cause significant economic losses in agriculture, especially in tropical regions. Traditional control methods face challenges due to the development of insect resistance to chemical and protein‐based insecticides, necessitating the search for new management strategies. This study evaluated the insecticidal potential of Coffea racemosa leaf extracts against S. frugiperda and D. saccharalis , providing the first evidence of this plant species' activity against these pests. Enzymatic extracts from larval midguts were used to assess trypsin‐like digestive enzyme activity, while leaf extracts and chromatographic fractions were tested for inhibitory effects and biological parameters. Significant inhibition of digestive trypsins was observed in both species, with stronger inhibition and higher mortality recorded in D. saccharalis . Molecular filtration revealed that both protein and non‐protein fractions possessed inhibitory activity, indicating that low‐molecular‐weight non‐protein compounds are likely the main contributors to the observed insecticidal effects. While S. frugiperda exhibited reduced larval and pupal weights and prolonged development without significant mortality, D. saccharalis showed marked mortality in addition to impaired development. These findings highlight C. racemosa metabolites as a promising source of insecticidal molecules for the management of lepidopteran pests.
Souza et al. (Mon,) studied this question.