First report of Spodoptera eridania in Africa (Benin, Cameroon, Gabon, Nigeria)
Following the introduction of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae – EPPO A1 List) in Africa which has led to a severe phytosanitary crisis, another species Spodoptera eridania (EPPO A1 List) has recently been detected. The first specimens of S. eridania were collected from cassava (Manihot esculenta) fields in Southeastern Nigeria in December 2016. Farmers had observed an outbreak of caterpillars causing severe defoliation in a cassava field (450 ha) near Ubiaja. The identity of the collected caterpillars has now been confirmed by molecular methods (DNA barcode analysis). In Benin, similar observations were made in early 2017 in cassava fields near Dasso in the Southern part of the country. Finally, adult specimens were collected from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fields in Yaoundé (Cameroon) as well as from Gabon. Morphological and molecular analysis confirmed the presence of S. eridania in these countries. Preliminary observations have shown that S. eridania is present in at least four African countries on cassava, tomato, maize (Zea mays) and amaranth (Amaranthus sp.).
S. eridania is a polyphagous pest native to the Americas, occurring from Southern USA to Argentina. In Africa, it is not known for how long S. eridania has been present, and its possible pathways of introduction into this continent remain unclear. At present, no massive scale outbreaks of S. eridania comparable to those caused by S. frugiperda have been observed.
Sources
INTERNET
IITA (2018-05-21) New pest identified in West and Central Africa! http://www.iita.org/news-item/new-pest-identified-west-central-africa/