Fall armyworm adult mothThe fall armyworm has four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The same behavior can sometimes occur in turf, where areas as large as a football field can be consumed in the course of 2-3 days ( Figure 2). The name ‘armyworm’ originates from agriculture, where infestations sometimes resemble an army as they move across large agriculture fields. They feed primarily on bermudagrass, ryegrass, fescue, and bluegrass, but can also be important pests of agricultural crops. Fall armyworm damage to a football fieldThe larval stage ( Figure 1) of armyworms can cause rapid,significant loss of leaf tissue in turfgrass.
The fall armyworm ( Spodoptera frugiperda) is the most common cause of damaged turfgrass on golf courses, athletic fields, and home landscapes.įigure 2. Common species of armyworms present in Texas include: the fall armyworm ( Spodoptera frugiperda) the yellowstriped armyworm ( Spodoptera ornithogalli) the beet armyworm ( Spodoptera exigua) and the true armyworm ( Mythimna (= Pseudaletia) unipuncta). Fall armyworm larvaeArmyworms belong to the insect order Lepidoptera and family Noctuidae. These caterpillars can cause significant economic damage to cereal and forage crops.Casey Reynolds, PhD, Mike Merchant, PhD and Diane Silcox Reynolds, PhDįall Armyworm: Spodoptera frugiperda Smith Descriptionįigure 1. Furthermore, she will be testing candidate attractive volatiles in bioassays for their behavioural activity.ĭownload the research poster here > A true armyworm ( M.
With Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry Sarah will analyze armyworm egg clusters for possible chemical cues deposited by females which mark plants as suitable hosts to other moths. For this she will be using electrophysiological techniques in which we study responses of neutrons in the olfactory system of the moths to host odours. In order to understand the host attraction of true armyworm females she aims to identify the volatile compounds emitted by these plants which mediate attraction behaviour. In her research she wants to find out which plant odors attract the female moths to their hosts and how the moths synchronize their egg-laying behavior which leads to the mass outbreaks. Sarah Koerte is a post doctoral research fellow in Dr.
Understanding the chemical ecology of the true armyworm will help develop naturally-derived agents and control this agronomical pest insect.ĭr. During these mass infestations their caterpillars cause considerable economical damage to cereal and forage crops such as barley, oats, corn, and alfalfa. Throughout North America the true armyworm ( Mythimna unipuncta) occurs in sporadic large outbreaks.
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