African Armyworms

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The African armyworm (Spodoptera exempta)is a migratory pest whose larvae devastates graminaceous plants thus can lead to 100% crop loss in most cereals and pasture. The pest undergoes rapid development completing the life cycle within 4-8 weeks under favourable weather conditions. Eggs take less than a week to hatch, larvae undergo 6 moulting stages in 2-3 weeks and pupa stage takes 1-2 weeks to produce migratory moths. Moths can migrate hundreds of kilometres aided by wind. The pest has a high reproductive capacity where a female moth can lay hundreds of eggs during its lifecycle. African armyworm outbreaks can go unnoticed since early-instar larvae are difficult to detect. In each generation of African armyworm, there is usually only a 2-3 weeks window for effective management of larvae. The pest therefore poses a serious threat to food and nutrition security.

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