Major insect pest has formed African ‘super-population’ (Rothamsted Research)

A new study has raised fears that populations of an invasive insect responsible for billions of dollars of lost harvests across dozens of African countries have formed one intercontinental ‘super-population’.

This interbreeding of fall armyworm populations increases the chances that should pesticide resistance emerge anywhere, it will likely spread quickly throughout the whole of Africa.

The research into the genetics of populations from Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Sudan, and Zambia found very little evidence that populations were isolated, according to lead author Amy Withers, who is a PhD student at Rothamsted Research and Lancaster University.

Read more here.