Impact of invasive fall armyworm on plant and arthropod communities and implications for crop protection

The environmental impact of exotic insect pest species is often poorly quantified, making current pest management strategies obsolete. The fall armyworm (FAW) is endemic to the Western hemisphere - where it is considered a major pest of maize - and invasive to Africa, Asia and Oceania since 2016, 2018 and 2020, respectively. FAW's highly polyphagous behaviour and potential expansion of its host range in invaded habitats may put some non-crop flowering plants and their ecosystem services at risk. While its potential for intraguild competition and hybridisation with endemic maize pest species could have important consequences for pest population dynamics and pest management, a FAW inter-strain hybrid - resistant to pesticides - has already been documented in China. Integrated pest management (IPM) combines host plant resistance, agronomic practices and biological control for the long-term prevention of pests. Within invaded areas, a lack of knowledge of FAW's ecological adaptations, the absence of resistant cultivars, and an insufficient build-up of natural enemies provide challenges that translate into research opportunities to support IPM solutions for this exotic pest species.

Automated summary

The fall armyworm, originally from the Western hemisphere, has become a major pest of maize in Africa, Asia, and Oceania since its invasion. Its highly polyphagous behavior and potential expansion of host range pose risks to non-crop flowering plants and their ecosystem services. Challenges in managing this exotic pest include intraguild competition, hybridization with endemic species, and documented pesticide-resistant strains.