Fall armyworm outbreak in wheat in Central Kentucky
Fall armyworm outbreak in wheat in Central Kentucky
We visited a wheat field in Simpson County that was experiencing an outbreak of fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in mid-October (Figure 1). Most FAW larvae were in the 4th to 6th instar (late developmental stages), and part of the field had been completely destroyed. The farmer applied bifenthrin on the same day we visited the field. We collected 90 caterpillars before and 50 caterpillars after the application to evaluate control efficacy in the laboratory. We observed 55% mortality 24 hours after spraying. A week later, all caterpillars collected before spraying had pupated, while most of those collected after spraying were either dead or had not yet pupated. We are still monitoring the pupae to determine whether they will develop into healthy, well-formed adults.
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