A moth (Spodoptera frugiperda) whose caterpillars feed on more than 80 plant species, with maize, sorghum and rice as the most damaged crops. Native to the Americas, it spread to sub-Saharan Africa in 2016 and then across Asia and Australia within a few years, and its rapid dispersal and pesticide resistance have made it one of the costliest crop pests of the early twenty-first century, with African maize losses alone estimated in the billions of dollars annually.
Facts
Classification
Quarantine StatusQuarantine Pest (ISPM 5) 2 Connections
Associated With
Maize, Crops The fall armyworm, since its rapid global spread from the Americas, is now one of the most damaging pests of maize worldwide.
Caused By Agent Kind
Entity-backed identity for the agent-kind enum value this pest or disease already carries, resolved to an agriculture concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The agent-kind fact itself stays on the pest or disease unchanged.
Mite, Concepts Entity-backed identity for the agent-kind enum value this pest or disease already carries, resolved to an agriculture concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The agent-kind fact itself stays on the pest or disease unchanged.
In the Other Atlases
Originated In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Fall Armyworm (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationOpening definition paragraph
The fall armyworm is a species in the order Lepidoptera and one of the species of the fall armyworm moths distinguished by their larval life stage. The term "armyworm" can refer to several species, often describing the large-scale invasive behavior of the species' larval stage. It is regarded as a pest and can damage and destroy a wide variety of crops, which causes large economic damage.
lead description
A moth (Spodoptera frugiperda) whose caterpillars feed on more than 80 plant species, with maize, sorghum and rice as the most damaged crops.
In Group: Moth and Caterpillar Pests, Lead
The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a species in the order Lepidoptera and one of the species of the fall armyworm moths distinguished by their larval life stage.
View the Source 2. Spodoptera frugiperda, Categorization (EPPO Global Database)
Categorization table, EU rowQuote, Categorization table, EU row
Quarantine pest ((EU) 2019/2072 Annex II A)
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.