Spodoptera frugiperda continues to spread in Africa
In early 2016, outbreaks of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae – EPPO A1 List) were reported for the first time in Africa where high armyworm populations damaging maize (Zea mays) crops have been noticed (EPPO RS 2016/188, 2017/035, 2017/116, 2017/191, 2017/213). This phytosanitary crisis has prompted coordinated actions by FAO aiming to contain the pest. As of 2017-11-24, S. frugiperda has been officially confirmed in the following African countries (recent records are marked in bold and with an asterisk): Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde*, Central African Republic, Congo (Democratic Republic of), Congo, Côte d’Ivoire*, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau*, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar*, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tomé e Principe, Senegal*, Seychelles*, Sierra Leone*, Somalia*, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
In addition, S. frugiperda has been detected in Gabon, Mali, Sudan but its presence remains to be officially confirmed in these countries.
Sources
FAO (2017-11-24) Briefing note on fall armyworm (FAW) in Africa. http://www.fao.org/3/a-bt415e.pdf