First data on the occurrence and population dynamics of the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Greece

Abstract

Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), commonly known as the fall armyworm, is one of the most serious pests of a wide range of plants including maize, soybean, cotton and rice. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions of the American continent and is considered as a quarantine pest for the European Union. Official surveys for the early detection of quarantine pests are performed annually in Greece. In the framework of that survey program, a network of pheromone traps for S. frugiperda has been established since 2019. From 2019 until 2022 no individuals of the pest were found in the traps. However, in autumn of 2023 the pest was first recorded in Greece. Male adults of the species were captured in those traps in seven regional units of south and central parts of Greece from September to December 2023. All the traps in which the pest was caught were placed in fields with Solanaceae plants, mainly tomatoes and eggplants. Moreover, larvae of the pest were also recorded in maize and tomato fields in Crete. From the collected data available it seems that the first adults caught in September most likely migrated to Greece from countries elsewhere in the region.