Possible incursion of Spodoptera frugiperda in Malta
Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae – EPPO A2 List) is reported for the first time in Malta. During faunistic studies, 3 specimens (2 males and 1 female) were caught in September 2023, in a light trap in Rabat (over a period of 18 nights), as well as 2 specimens (1 male and 1 female) in Naxxar (over a period of 23 nights). The origin of these specimens is not known, nor whether the pest would be able to survive during winter conditions in Malta.
Following this first published record, the EPPO Secretariat contacted the NPPO of Malta which explained that official surveys to detect the presence of S. frugiperda on its territory have been conducted since 2019 with the use of specific pheromone traps. No specimen has been trapped in this framework. For the moment, the NPPO cannot confirm the presence of S. frugiperda on its territory as mentioned by Seguna et al. (2024) because the diagnosis was not performed by an accredited laboratory. An official survey will be conducted again in 2024.
Sources
Seguna A, Catania A, Borg JJ, Sammut P (2024) Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith, 1797), an unwelcome visitor reaches the Maltese Islands (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae, Xyleninae). SHILAP Revista de lepidopterología 52(205), 29-31. https://doi.org/10.57065/shilap.844
NPPO of Malta (2024-05).