The first record of Fall Armyworm Spodoptera frugiperdain Nepal

Ajaya Shree Ratna Bajracharya (Senior Scientist)
Binu Bhat (Technical Officer)
Entomology Division, Nepal Agricultural Research Council.

Fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a destructive pest of cereal crops. Fall armyworm (FAW) is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Americas. FAW has very wide host range, more than 80 plant species has been recorded as host, where as maize is preferred host. In absence of maize it can damage sorghum, rice, wheat, fingermillet, sugarcane and fodder grasses. Crops like cabbage, beet, groundnut, soybean, onion, cotton, tomato and potato also found damaged by FAW. This pest is strong flier with migratory and localized dispersal habit and can fly up to 100 km in search of host plant.

Early stage damage by initial instar larvae.

Damage by late instar larva

Whorl damage

Egg mass

Full grown larva

Pupa

Adult male moth

Adult female moth

 

The Spodoptera frugiperda had been recorded for the first time in Nepal from Nawalparasi district (N 27o42’16.67” E 084o22’50.61”)  on 9th May 2019. Studying external morphology of larvae and adult moths, genitalia of male and female moths in Entomology Division NARC, the insects infesting in maize crop in the Nawalparasi distinct was confirmed as fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith).