Fall armyworm scouting, monitoring, and surveillance, with a focus on trapping and pheromones

Authors: Meagher, Robert - Rob

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/27/2021
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: In the Western Hemisphere, the caterpillar pest fall armyworm feeds on corn, sorghum, cotton, sugarcane, and many other important row and vegetable crops. Since 2017 this pest invaded Africa, Asia, and currently is distributed in much of eastern Australia. Scouting for caterpillars and monitoring for adults are important components for determining when to apply control measures, such as application of pesticides or release of natural enemies. A scientist from the USDA-ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, Florida, was invited to present a seminar in a virtual international workshop being broadcast from Cairo, Egypt. This talk will discuss attraction of moths to traps, sampling for caterpillars in corn, and how these numbers can be used to determine when control measures should be taken to reducing damaging populations.

Technical Abstract: In the Western Hemisphere, fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is an insect pest that feeds on corn, sorghum, cotton, sugarcane, and many other important row and vegetable crops. Since 2017 this pest invaded Africa, Asia, and currently is distributed in much of eastern Australia. Sampling for larvae and monitoring for adults are important components in calculating action thresholds for management techniques such as application of pesticides or release of parasitoids. This talk will discuss pheromone chemistry, attraction of moths to traps, sampling for larvae, and how these numbers can be used as thresholds for reducing damaging populations.