Occurrence status of the fall armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in South Korea

Abstract

To respond to the growing risk from Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), the migratory fall armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), the National Fall Armyworm Surveillance Program (NFASP) for early detection for this pest ran from April to November during 2019 and 2020. The fall armyworm surveillance program involved seasonal monitoring of the pest with pheromone traps placed in fields of cereal crops at high-risk locations. The trapping season ran from early spring to late autumn, with a total deployment of 396 traps. During the survey of 2019 to 2020, a total of 120 male adults of S. frugiperda were captured in these surveillance traps placed in South Korea. Eradication treatments using primary pesticide sprays were applied. Based on a subsequent monitoring and evaluation survey carried out simultaneously, the results indicated that the pest had been eradicated from these localities. Additionally, 20 non-target moth species were captured in the surveillance traps.