Spodoptera frugiperda continues to spread in Australia
In Australia, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae - EPPO A1 List) was first found in January 2020 in the islands of the Torres Strait and then detected on the mainland in the Northern part of Queensland (EPPO RS 2020/031). During the following months, the pest continued to spread in mainland Australia (EPPO RS 2020/071). As of May 2020, it was detected in Torres Strait, Queensland (Bamaga, Gulf of Carpentaria, Johnstone, Tolga, Lakeland, Bowen, Burdekin, Emerald, Richmond and Clermont regions), Northern Territory (Katherine, Darwin and Douglas Daly regions), and Western Australia (Kununurra, Broome and Carnarvon region). The eradication of S. frugiperda is no longer considered to be feasible and efforts will be directed at limiting its impact.
The pest status of Spodoptera frugiperda in Australia is officially declared as: Present: only in some areas.
Sources
IPPC website. Official Pest Reports – Australia (AUS-98/1 of 2020-05-07) Further detections of Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm) on mainland Australia. https://www.ippc.int/en/countries/australia/pestreports/2020/05/further-detections-of-spodoptera-frugiperda-fall-armyworm-on-mainland-australia/