Latest Armyworm Forecast from ETOP (February 2020)
Synopsis
Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) (FAW): FAW was reported in Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, Australia and Indonesia. The pest continues affecting maize and other crops in several countries across continents.
African Armyworm (Spodoptera exempta) (AAW): AAW outbreaks were not reported in eastern Africa during this month.
Current situation
Fall armyworm (FAW)
FAW was reported in Torres Strait Australia during late January 2020 and by mid-February the pest was detected on the mainland Australia. FAW was also reported in Timor Leste attacking maize plants in February. The pest has reached most of Southeast Asia and Pacific regions. Though not reported, the pest is expected to have continued affecting maize and other crops that are at vulnerable stages.
African Armyworm (AAW)
No update was received at the time this bulletin was compiled, but it is likely that the pest may have continued threatening crops in the southern outbreak region and began appearing in the southern end of the eastern outbreak zone during this month.
Forecasts (for the next 6 weeks)
Fall armyworm (FAW)
FAW will likely continue affecting rain-fed and irrigated maize and other crops across sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, the Pacific Regions and elsewhere during the forecast period. Active monitoring, surveillance, reporting and preventive interventions remain critical to abate the damage.
African Armyworm (AAW)
AAW activities will likely continue in the southern outbreak region and appear in the eastern outbreak zone during the forecast period (IRLCO-CSA, OFDA/PSPM).
Acknowledgements
This forecast is published by Lancaster University’s Armyworm Network: http://www.armyworm.org/. It is an extract from the Emergency Transboundary Outbreak Pest (ETOP) situation report compiled by USAID/OFDA/PSPM. They monitor ETOPs regularly in close collaboration with their network of national PPDs/DPVs, regional and international pest monitoring and/or control entities, including FAO, CLCPRO, CRC, DLCO-EA, and IRLCO-CSA, as well as Agency partners, and NGOs and provides timely analytical bulletins and reports to stakeholders across the globe. For dated, archived ETOP SITREPs, please, go to: https://www.usaid.gov/what-wedo/working-crises-andconflict/responding-times-crisis/how-wedo-it/humanitarian-sectors/agricultureand-food-security/pest-and-pesticidemonitoring/archive
