FAW Final Presentation MARCH

Regional Crop Protection Center
Global distribution of fall armyworm *
• Tropical and subtropical America.

Region IX
• Reported in Africa in 2016, followed by an

alarming distribution across the African
continent.
• Reported in India and several Asia Pacific

countries in 2018.
• Reported in China in 2019.

Fall Armyworm
• Reported in the Philippines in June of 2019
• Reported in ZamPen in Sptember of 2019
*Source: European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) 2019 – Fall armyworm distributed in 92 countries as of January 2019. https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/LAPHFR/distribution
Region IX Fall Armyworm
FAW Distribution in Zamboanga Peninsula
Fall Armyworm Region IX
Overview and Importance

Attributes that make fall armyworm a
devastating pest
Region IX
• Key pest status - Maize yield loses over 70% reported in Central America when
Defoliation damage
the pest was not controlled. Crop destruction (100%) in Brazil reported when late
instars act as seedling cutworm. Damage across the globe estimated in billions
of dollars.
• Highly polyphagous - Reported on 353 host plant species from 76 plant

families.
Fall Armyworm
• High reproductive rate - Females capable of producing 2000 eggs in their

lifetime.
• Highly migratory pest - Adults able to travel 100 km per night and 500 km prior
to oviposition when assisted by strong winds. Larvae occasionally relocate to
nearby suitable crops.
Seedling cutting damage

Attributes that make fall armyworm a
devastating pest
Region IX
• Persist year around in tropical environments - Eight to ten generations per

year in some regions and lack of diapause allow pest to infest crops at any
time of year.
• Cryptic feeding and behavior - Adults hide during daytime; ground migrating
larvae hide under crop cover; deep whorl feeding. These behaviors allow
pest go undetected, avoid predation and make it difficult to reach with foliar
Fall Armyworm
sprays.
• Multiple feeding behaviors – defoliator, ear and flower feeder,

seedling cutter. The fall armyworm feeds on almost any above-
ground plant part.
• Difficult to control – Natural levels of tolerance to some insecticidal proteins

and demonstrated ability to develop resistance to insecticides and traits.
Fall armyworm cryptic feeding behavior in different plant parts
Biology and Behavior

Region IX
Biology of the Fall
armyworm
Fall Armyworm
Department of Agriculture
Regional Crop Protection Center IX
RJMC
Region IX
Fall Armyworm
 Usually one late larva per whorl.
 Can compensate for significant leaf feeding and still produce ears.
 High infestations can kill the growing tip and prevent ear formation.
Fall armyworm eggs
• Eggs laid in clusters of 50 to 200 called “egg masses”

attached to plant foliage.
Region IX
• Egg masses are covered with a protective layer of

whitish hairs from the female’s abdomen. A female can
deposit 1500 to 2000 eggs in her lifetime.
• In maize, egg masses are deposited on the underside of
leaves, next to the stalk. Under heavy population
pressure, eggs may be deposited on the upper side of
Fall armyworm egg mass
leaves and stems, but rarely on silks.
Fall Armyworm
• Individual eggs are dome-shaped, 0.3 mm tall and 0.4 mm

wide. New eggs are greenish and turn cream-colored,
brown and almost black as they mature. Hatching
(eclosion) occurs in 2-4 days under normal warm
conditions.
Learning to locate and identify egg masses and their

color is a valued skill in the scouting process to predict
larval hatching and take appropriate actions.
Egg mass ready to hatch

Larval stages
Region IX
• The larva is the damaging stage of the fall

armyworm. The larval cycle last 14 days in
warmer temperatures and about 30 days in
milder or cooler conditions.
• The larva undergoes six growth stages called

“instars” which are identified as L1, L2 , and
up to L6.
Fall Armyworm
Fall armyworm larva

Young larvae - Growth stages L1,
L2, and L3
Description:
• 1½ mm in newly hatched L1 (neonates) to about 6-9 mm at L3.
Region IX
• Pronounced hairs and bumps along the body, body colors of pale
green and yellowish
are common in L1-L2, which help them camouflage in green
vegetation.
• As larva grows, it takes on grayish brown to dark brown
coloration. Head color varies
from orange to dark brown.
• Color variation and the lack of well-defined body markings in
Fall Armyworm
young larvae make it difficult to differentiate from other larva

species.
Behavior:
Eclosing fall armyworm neonate larvae from egg mass
• Newly hatched larvae wander around briefly and quickly move to
the whorl leaves where their exposure to chemical sprays is
reduced.
• Neonates may disperse by wind to nearby plants by spinning
silk threads, a technique called “ballooning”, allowing an
infestation to spread across a field.
• As larvae grows, they exhibit increasing cannibalistic behavior.
Older larvae - Growth stages L4, L5
and L6
Region IX
Description:
• 15 mm at L4 to about 38 to 40 mm on
fully grown L6.
• Color patterns and spots in mid to large-sized larvae easier to observe

L4 (4th instar) fall armyworm larva
for proper identification.
• Common color
• n. is brown. Greenish and blackish coloration are less
Fall Armyworm
common
L6 (6th instar) fall armyworm larva

Older larvae - Growth stages L4, L5
and L6
Region IX
Behavior:
A B
• Larvae at these stages are fast crawlers.
• Their voracious appetite leads them to feed

on almost any above-ground part of the
maize plant, crawling to new plants or
invading new suitable crops in search of C D
food.
Fall Armyworm
• Large larvae exhibits different feeding

behaviors in maize and consume most
above-ground plant parts depending on the
Large fall armyworm larva feeding on: A) maize seedling; B)
time of infestations. unfurled leaf tissue; C) cob and kernels; D) cannibalistic behavior
• Cannibalistic behavior.
Pupae
Description:
• 15 mm in length and shiny reddish brown color

Region IX
Behavior:
Fall armyworm pupa. Actual size about 15 mm.
• Fully-grown caterpillars normally drop to the ground to
pupate. Occasionally, they may pupate in plant parts,
especially after ear tissue feeding.
• Larvae burrow 2 to 8 cms into the soil and spins a loose

cocoon made of silk
Fall Armyworm
impregnated with fine soil particles and soil debris.
• Soil pupation and earthen cocoons make them hard to

detect visually. Pupation lasts 8 to 9 days under optimal
warm conditions.
Fall armyworm pupae collected from infested ears

Adult
A B
Description:
• Medium-sized moths, 32 to 40 mm wingspan, with
gray or brownish forewings and white hindwings.
Region IX
Behavior:
• Highly active at night, hide during the day. In maize,

C Fall armyworm adults occur in
adults can be found hiding in between leaves or both light and dark colors as
inside whorls. shown in these pictures: A)
Pinned dead male with
• Strong nocturnal flyers, capable of long distance expanded wings; B) Live adult in
normal pose; C) Adult resting on
migration up to 100 km on a single night and an maize whorl leaf
estimated of 500 km in the few days prior to oviposition
Fall Armyworm
assisted by strong wind currents.

• Females release pheromones to attract males.
Oviposition takes place two to three days after mating.
• Adults live two to three weeks.
Importance: Synthetic pheromones (lures) play an important

role to detect the arrival of males, anticipate a fall armyworm
infestation in a field.
Identification of Larva
Fall armyworm: Identifiable
head features
Region IX
Upside down white “Y” on dark head
Y
Fall Armyworm
Fall armyworm: The two most common features used
for identification
Region IX
1. Large spots on the

second last segment
arranged in square pattern
Fall Armyworm
2. Upside down white

“Y” on dark head
Types of Feeding Injury

Feeding injury by young larvae - Growth
stages L1, L2, and L3
Damage to maize plants:
Region IX
• Young larvae feed on the surface on one side of the leaf on small
irregular-shaped or elongated patterns, leaving the opposite
epidermal layer of the leaf intact, a type of feeding injury often
referred to as “window pane” damage.
Importance:
• Window-pane feeding injury does not lead to economic yield loss.
Fall Armyworm
• Learning to recognize early signs of fall armyworm feeding is critical

when managing this pest in maize.
• Most effective economic thresholds for fall armyworm in maize are
based on a visual estimation of feeding damage by young larva.
Window-pane feeding damage –
notice a clear epidermal
membrane remains on the leaf.
Lower-left corner: Close view of
small larva and its window-pane
feeding damage
Feeding injury by young larvae - Growth
stages L4, L5, and L6
A B
Region IX
Damage to maize plants:
• Larger larva consumes more tissue.

Stronger mandibles allow them cut large
chunks of plant tissue and consume hard
plant structures
• Larger larvae feed on most above-
ground parts of the maize plant C D
including seedlings, foliage, tassels,
Fall Armyworm
cobs, husks, and developing kernels.

Importance:
• If not controlled, feeding injury at this

stage may lead to
severe yield loss and crop destruction.
Large fall armyworms feed on most above-ground plant parts
including: A) seedling stems; B) foliage; C) tassels; D) ear
cobs
Plant defoliation
• Most common and visible feeding behavior during maize vegetative
stages.
• During mid-season infestations (maize vegetative stage), larvae

Region IX
feed inside unfurled whorl leaves, leaving large amount of brown-

colored frass (larva excrement) behind.
• Large amount of larval frass accumulate at the entrance of the

unfurled whorl leaves,protecting larvae from predators and from the
action of most common insecticide sprays.
Whorl feeding showing larval frass
• When whorl tissue is destroyed, larvae start feeding on expanded

Fall Armyworm
leaves, consuming large amounts of tissue along the leaf blade.
• Severe, non-controlled infestations result in ragged plants,

stunted plant development, destruction of growing points and
reproductive tissue, and complete plant destruction.
• Large, protected larvae are difficult to control and reaching this

level of damage across a maize field leads to significant yield
loss. Ragged plant with growing points destroyed
Tassel feeding
• This feeding behavior occurs when maize plants

begin reproductive stage. 0
Region IX
• Larvae feed and destroy the unopened,

developing tassel before pollen shedding.
• Causes tassel loss, uneven tassel emergence

and significant pollination issues.
Fall Armyworm
Different levels of tassel feeding injury,

from partial to complete tassel
destruction occurring prior to tassel
emergence
Ear feeding
• Occurs later in the crop season under
high pest population densities.
Region IX
• Large larvae feed on all ear parts with

preference on developing kernels, but also
feed on husk leaves, silk, cob and even
stalks.
• Causes direct impact on grain yield and

quality.
Fall Armyworm
Large larvae may feed on a few kernels or may cause complete

ear destruction depending on the time of the infestation.
Seedling cutting
• Occurs when larvae are present at plant emergence.
• Common in tropical regions where warmer weather allows sequential

maize plantings. Mid to large larvae migrate from a maturing crop to a
new emerging crop.
Region IX
• Larvae cut off leaves and stem above soil level, similar to cutworm
• damage.
• Causes drastic plant stand reduction. Complete destruction (100%)

of newly emerging maize crop reported in tropical areas.
Fall Armyworm
Seedling cutting and plant stand

reduction caused by large fall
armyworm larvae
FAW INFESTATION IN REGION IX
Zamboanga del Norte

20
18
16
14
Region IX
12
10
Fall Armyworm
Dapitan
Katipunan
Liloy POLPiňan PIÑAN
Polanco
ANC Roxas
Sergio
O Osmeňa
% FAW infestation in the different municipalities of Zambo Norte as of

Dec. 2019
60

40
20
Region IX
0
Zamboanga del norte
Fall Armyworm
an
un
tip
Ka
% FAW infestation in the different municipalities of Zambo Norte (as

of February, 2020)
20
Zamboanga del Sur

18
16
14
Region IX
12
10
8
6
4
2
Fall Armyworm
0 a
ror
g Au
la in inas ao ag na
at D l i n
n g fi o d ag
ip
i m m
a
m
i se w
o ay al ave go ... ..
D u u J o e ah s o l t o a y . l
D D ak M i d
M Pi
ags
sa u e
b l o ot ig an
L M ag i g Pa i n u l ...
M m b r S
on n M San San Sm am u ku zo
Average % FAW infestation in the amdifferent o municipalities of T Zambo T n
Sur
e
R m c
Ra Vi
n
(as of December 2019)
60

50
Region IX
40
30 Zamboanga del Sur
20
Fall Armyworm
10
0 Aurora Guipos Tambulig
Average % FAW infestation in the different municipalities of Zambo Sur

(as of February 2020)
Zamboanga Sibugay

10
9
8
7
Region IX
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Diplahan Imelda
Imelda ipil
alan naga RT Lim
Fall Armyworm
as Siay Titay Tungawan
b
Ka
Average % FAW infestation in the different municipalities of Zambo Sibugay

(as of December 2019)
100

90
80
Region IX
70
60
50 Zamboanga Sibugay
40
30
Fall Armyworm
20
10
0
Diplahan Imelda Ipil Kabasalan Siay
Average % FAW infestation in the different municipalities of Zambo Sibugay
(as of February, 2020)
Zamboanga City

Zamboanga City
Region IX
80
60
40
20
0
Fall Armyworm
Ayala
Buenavista
taga silay
talisayan
Average % FAW infestation in the different municipalities of Zamboanga City

(as of December, 2019)
Integrated Pest
Management of FALL
ARMYWORM
RJMC
1. Seed treatment and use of

resistant varieties :
Region IX
– Treating the seeds with recommended pesticides will
help in reducing the early damage of the seedlings and
Fall Armyworm
laying of egg masses. Cultivation of resistant varieties
is also an effective management technique.
RJMC
2. Preventative and
Avoidance:

Cultural methods
Region IX
Manage to enable a healthy maize crop, minimizing plant stress and
avoiding crop or field characteristics that invite fall armyworm
infestations:
Weeds rob soil nutrients and harbor large
• Early planting to avoid heavier pest densities in late season. amount of fall armyworm larva
• Weed management – Eliminate weed hosts that sustain larval

populations before their migration to a new maize crop.
• Avoid adjacent sequential planting to prevent migrations of
Fall Armyworm
larvae from a maturing crop to new fields.
• Avoid plant stress – Proper fertilization, irrigation, cultivation, etc.

Healthier plants tend to recover faster and recover from some
yield loss.
• Crop rotation – This is limited to a farmer’s flexibility to plant a

non-host crop, if available, or a crop where fall armyworms are Avoid sequential planting
not important pest problems.
RJMC 3
3. Plant Diversity

Region IX
– Diversity on farm reduces Fall Armyworm infestation
and supports natural enemies
– FAW moths prefer maize to lay her eggs. In large
monocultures of maize, she just flies about, laying her
Fall Armyworm
eggs in a sea of maize.
RJMC
Plant Diversity . . .

Region IX
– But when maize is intercropped with other crops or there
are other plants nearby which she doesn’t like, she is more
likely to move on, skipping maize plants which may be
mixed in with the plants she doesn’t like.
– This is the first step in good FAW management – reduce
Fall Armyworm
oviposition on maize plants!
– Research Scientists have noticed that when corn were
plant together with other crops such as beans and squash
they have less pest attacks.
RJMC
Parasitoids of the FAW . . .

• Typically Trichogramma spp. are tiny wasps less than 0.5 mm long.
Adults are mostly orange, brown or even black. Antennae are short,
Region IX
clubbed in females and hairy in males. – Behavior: Adult females lay
their eggs inside FAW eggs.
Fall Armyworm
RJMC
5. Monitor adult
populations

Track the flight migration of fall armyworm adults to allow A B
Region IX
growers prepare ahead of a potential infestation.
Adult pheromone trapping:
• Pheromones are volatile natural molecules produced
by insects. They stimulate a behavioral response from
individuals of the same species. C
• Pheromone communication is effective in fall armyworm to
attract members of the opposite sex.
Fall Armyworm
• Synthetic pheromones or lures are compounds that mimic
natural
A) Funnel or bucket trap (universal trap or unitrap); B) Fall
pheromones. They are used extensively in traps to attract armyworm adult male captures; C) Insecticide strips to
adult male moth kill trapped adult moths
RJMC
Predators of the FAW

– Earwigs (Dermaptera: Forficulidae, Carcinophoridae)
Region IX
– Ladybird beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) Ants
(Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
– Ants are often among the most important predators
of FAW larvae and pupae. Some farmers have begun
trying to apply lard & they will then eat the FAW
Fall Armyworm
larvae present.
– Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae)
– Frogs
RJMC
ENTOMOPATHOGENS

– Generally pathogens like bacteria, fungi and virus affect the yield of the crop. Some
fungi include Metarhizium anisopliae, Metarhizium rileyi, Beauveria bassiana,
Region IX
bacteria such as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
Fall Armyworm
RJMC
s:
– Botanicals are the natural chemicals which are of plant origin. Botanicals are generally with broad

spectrum activity with no or minimum effect on mammals. They act as repelling agents, larvicidal or
antifeedants.
Region IX
– Extracts from neem seed or leaves, Pyrethrin from Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium and rotinoids
from Tephrosia vogelii are found effective against Fall Army Worm. Biological control of the Fall
Armyworm
– Naturally-occurring bio-control agents
Fall Armyworm
RJMC
– Fall armyworm can be one of the more difficult insect pests to control in field corn.

– Late planted fields and later maturing hybrids are more likely to become infested.
– Fall armyworm causes serious leaf feeding damage as well as direct injury to the
Region IX
ear.
– While fall armyworms can damage corn plants in nearly all stages of development,
it will concentrate on later plantings that have not yet silked.
– Like European corn borer, fall armyworm can only be effectively controlled while
the larvae are small.
Therefore:
Fall Armyworm
Early detection and proper timing of an insecticide application are critical.
RJMC
Chemical pesticides:

– Chemical pesticides are artificially manufactured compounds
which have mammalian toxicity and toxic to beneficial
Region IX
organisms. They have residual effect and create damage to
ecosystem. Generally, the chemicals like Methomyl, Cyfluthrin,
Methyl parathion, are sprayed against FAW.
Fall Armyworm
RJMC
– Fall armyworm can be one of the more difficult insect pests to control in field corn.

– Late planted fields and later maturing hybrids are more likely to become infested.
– Fall armyworm causes serious leaf feeding damage as well as direct injury to the
Region IX
ear.
– While fall armyworms can damage corn plants in nearly all stages of development,
it will concentrate on later plantings that have not yet silked.
– Like European corn borer, fall armyworm can only be effectively controlled while
the larvae are small.
Therefore:
Fall Armyworm
Early detection and proper timing of an insecticide application are critical.
RJMC
– Unlike armyworm, fall armyworm feeds during the day and night, but are usually most

active in the morning or late afternoon.
– Larger larvae are usually found deep in the whorl often below a "plug" of yellowish brown
Region IX
frass.
– Beneath this plug, larvae are protected somewhat from insecticide applications.
– Plants often recover from whorl damage without any reduction in yield
• Larvae will also move to the ear as plants begin to tassel and young ears
become available.
Fall Armyworm
• The ear may be partly or totally destroyed.
• Damage to the ear may be much more important than leaf damage.
RJMC
When to spray?
MONITORING

Region IX
 Corn growers should pay close attention to late planted
fields or fields with a history of these problems.
 Problems are usually associated in fields planted after the
regular planting dates.
Fall Armyworm
 Early detection of infestations will allow for more
effective control of this pest.
 If present in damaging numbers in the field, it must be
controlled while the larvae are still small
RJMC
MANAGEMENT

Region IX
 Control needs to be considered when egg masses are present on 5% of the plants or
when 25% of the plants show damage symptoms and live larvae are still present.
 Controlling larger larvae, typically after they are hidden under the frass plug, will be
much more difficult.
Fall Armyworm
 Treatments must be applied before larvae burrow deep into the whorl or enter ears of
more mature plants.
RJMC
Regular Monitoring for early detection is essential for FAW
management

Region IX
Fall Armyworm
 Check fields several times weekly starting at seedling stage
Early Whorl Stages 10 -30% Late Whorl and Pretassel Tassel, Siliking and Ear Stages 10
Stages 30 -50% -30% (not recommended for
small farmers
Spot treatments if Infestations are clumped in the field.

THANK
YOU!

FAW Final Presentation MARCH

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

FAW Final Presentation MARCH

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Regional Crop Protection Center

Global distribution of fall armyworm *

• Tropical and subtropical America.

• Reported in Africa in 2016, followed by an

• Reported in India and several Asia Pacific

• Reported in China in 2019.

• Reported in the Philippines in June of 2019

• Reported in ZamPen in Sptember of 2019

Overview and Importance

• Highly polyphagous - Reported on 353 host plant species from 76 plant

• High reproductive rate - Females capable of producing 2000 eggs in their

Seedling cutting damage

• Persist year around in tropical environments - Eight to ten generations per

• Multiple feeding behaviors – defoliator, ear and flower feeder,

• Difficult to control – Natural levels of tolerance to some insecticidal proteins

Biology and Behavior

• Eggs laid in clusters of 50 to 200 called “egg masses”

• Egg masses are covered with a protective layer of

• Individual eggs are dome-shaped, 0.3 mm tall and 0.4 mm

Learning to locate and identify egg masses and their

Egg mass ready to hatch

• The larva is the damaging stage of the fall

• The larva undergoes six growth stages called

Fall armyworm larva

young larvae make it difficult to differentiate from other larva

• Color patterns and spots in mid to large-sized larvae easier to observe

L6 (6th instar) fall armyworm larva

• Their voracious appetite leads them to feed

• Large larvae exhibits different feeding

• 15 mm in length and shiny reddish brown color

• Larvae burrow 2 to 8 cms into the soil and spins a loose

impregnated with fine soil particles and soil debris.

• Soil pupation and earthen cocoons make them hard to

Fall armyworm pupae collected from infested ears

• Highly active at night, hide during the day. In maize,

assisted by strong wind currents.

Importance: Synthetic pheromones (lures) play an important

Upside down white “Y” on dark head

1. Large spots on the

2. Upside down white

Types of Feeding Injury

• Learning to recognize early signs of fall armyworm feeding is critical

Damage to maize plants:

• Larger larva consumes more tissue.

cobs, husks, and developing kernels.

• If not controlled, feeding injury at this

• During mid-season infestations (maize vegetative stage), larvae

feed inside unfurled whorl leaves, leaving large amount of brown-

• Large amount of larval frass accumulate at the entrance of the

• When whorl tissue is destroyed, larvae start feeding on expanded

leaves, consuming large amounts of tissue along the leaf blade.

• Severe, non-controlled infestations result in ragged plants,

• Large, protected larvae are difficult to control and reaching this

• This feeding behavior occurs when maize plants

• Larvae feed and destroy the unopened,

• Causes tassel loss, uneven tassel emergence

Different levels of tassel feeding injury,

• Large larvae feed on all ear parts with

• Causes direct impact on grain yield and

Large larvae may feed on a few kernels or may cause complete

• Common in tropical regions where warmer weather allows sequential

• Causes drastic plant stand reduction. Complete destruction (100%)