In February, the Nigerian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development confirmed the invasion of the Armyworm in 22 states of the country, with serious damage to cereal crops, chief of which is maize. Knowing Armyworm Species The African armyworm (Spodoptera exempta ), is an African moth. It is a very deleterious pest, capable of destroying entire crops in a matter of weeks. The armyworm gets its name from its habit of "marching" in large numbers from grasslands into crops. African armyworms tend to occur at very high densities during the rainy season, especially after periods of prolonged drought. Recent discoveries pointed out that the latest infestation in Nigeria and in West Africa sub-region are not from the “True” African army worm” but a fresh pest that belongs to the same Family and Genus as the African army worm, but an entirely different species; frugiperda. Spodoptera frugiperda is known as the “Fall Armyworm” Its scientific name is derived from its feedi...
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