Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm).

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is a lepidopteran pest that feeds in large numbers on the leaves, stems and reproductive parts of more than 350 plant species, causing major damage to economically important cultivated grasses such as maize, rice, sorghum, sugarcane and wheat but also other vegetable crops and cotton. Native to the Americas, it has been repeatedly intercepted at quarantine in Europe and was first reported from Africa in 2016 where it caused significant damage to maize crops. In 2018, S. frugiperda was first reported from the Indian subcontinent (Ganiger et al., 2018; Sharanabasappa Kalleshwaraswamy et al., 2018). It has since invaded Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar, China and Sri Lanka (IPPC, 2018b, 2019; FAO, 2019c). The ideal climatic conditions for fall armyworm present in many parts of Africa and Asia, and the abundance of suitable host plants suggests the pest can produce several generations in a single season, and is likely to lead to the pest becoming endemic.