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Appearance of Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda as A New Invasive Insect Pest on Maize Plants in the Nile Delta, Egypt

Journal of Plant Protection and Pathology • 2022
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Publication Information
Authors Hadeer S. A. Rashed* ; M. S. Khalil; K. M. Khalwy and I. A. El-Ghbawy
Keywords Spodoptera frugiperda, Corn plant, northern Egypt
Journal Journal of Plant Protection and Pathology
Publisher Hadeer S. A. Rashed
Volume 13
Issue 10
Pages 231_ 234
publication.type Local
Paper Link Not Available
Supplementary Materials Not Available
Abstract
Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctudiae) is an insect pest that attacks many crops around the
world and causing large reductions in the crop yield, including Graminaceous crops, especially maize. This pest
introduced Egypt from Sudan, was recorded for the first time in Egypt in 2019 at Aswan Governorate on corn
plants, and recently recorded in Assiut Governorate in 2021. In this study, the presence of S. frugiperda was
detected in the Nile Delta of the northern part of Egypt, since it was transferred from the Upper Egypt
governorates. Identification was made by observing the symptoms of infection on the investigated corn plants
and the morphological characteristics of insect stages, such as holes on leaves and stems with larval feces, and
presence of a white Y-shape on the head and 4 crescent-shaped black spots on all abdominal segments, except
for the eighth segment, where they are square shaped. Further, the pupa has a pair of straight thorns at the end,
while the adult insect has a row of small scales near the apical margin of the wing and the color of the wing
changes from grayish brown to rusty brown. This study proves the presence S. frugiperda in northern part of
Egypt, and because this pest has been detected, identified and its dispersal and crop destruction has been
confirmed in many governorates of Egypt, it is necessary to update the geographical maps of its local
distribution, to apply the recommended control approaches as a way to minimize its impacts on the agricultural
crops. Further studies on its biology, host range, and food preference have to be taken in account.