Medium larva and shot hole damage
Fall armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda) is an exotic pest that was first detected on the Australian mainland in February 2020. It has since been been detected in the Northern Territory, northern Western Australia and northern New South Wales. Eradication has been determined to be unfeasible and it is now classified as an endemic pest.
Learn more about this pest:
NOTE: The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) have approved a DAF application and issued an Emergency Use Permit (EUP) which allows Fawligen to be used on FAW.
Fawligen is best used as part of an integrated pest management system, in strategic combinations with natural enemies and conventional chemistry options. Supply will be restricted to growers and consultants who have undertaken accredited training to ensure they are fully aware of the product’s abilities and limitations. AgBiTech will be providing a training program for farmers, agronomists and researchers who are considering using Fawligen. More information on this product and the accreditation program is available at www.agbitech.com.au/fawligen.
The Beatsheet will send out updates on this pest as more information becomes available. Our latest posts include:
- September 2021: Fall armyworm tough it out during winter
- January 2021: Detecting FAW in sorghum and corn
- December 2020: Latest FAW research – what to consider when making management decisions
Webinars and recent presentations
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- GRDC update webinar on FAW (2 March 2021). Includes recording and Update paper.
- GRDC update webinar on FAW (12 November 2020). Includes recording and Update paper.
- FAW for horticulture agronomists presentation (August 2020)
- An Invertebrate pest management in maize presentation (August 2020) includes planning for FAW.
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See also our presentations page for more information and links to earlier recordings.
Other resources
The GRDC has a Fall armyworm: a crop invader on the march page with identification information and links to other resources.
Enquiries or images regarding FAW in NSW can be emailed to the NSW Department of Primary Industries. See also NSW DPI’s fall armyworm webpage.
The Plant Biosecurity Research Initiative has published a fall armyworm continuity plan and a podcast series on FAW. It explores the experiences and observations of experts from around the globe and here in Australia. Visit the PHA website.
CropLife Australia has released a FAW resistance strategy.
A range of spray permits for fall armyworm are now available. Search for permits relevant to your crop/situation at the APVMA website. Download a summary page in pdf (current as at 20 October 2021)
The DARABUG insect development model provides a convenient and readily available means of predicting development times using different insect models, including FAW. Gridded climatic data of daily temperatures is used to generate estimates of the dates of occurrence for each stage throughout the whole life-cycle of an insect. The science behind the modelling is described in Regional and seasonal activity predictions for fall armyworm in Australia (Insect Science volume 1).
CottonInfo has a short video highlighting some of the similar characteristics between caterpillars and an Endemics to exotics factsheet that looks at some of the differences between armyworm species found in the tropics.
Queensland’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) has a range of crop-specific factsheets.