The fall armyworm looks set to stay in New Zealand, with efforts to control its spread having failed.
The fall armyworm, one of the more significant invasive pests in agriculture globally, is now considered established in New Zealand. First detected in Northland in 2022, it was thought to have arrived from Australia (where it is also an invasive pest) on the back of a cyclone.
A significant pest of crops such as sweetcorn and maize, the Ministry of Primary Industries and partners have agreed that eradication is not possible and that a strategy of long-term management should be implemented. Part of the strategy is understanding how the fall armyworm will adapt to the New Zealand environment. How far south could it spread? Under what conditions could it overwinter?
Pest managers should become familiar with identifying this serious pest. It has an inverted ‘Y’ on its head capsule and four raised dots in a square on its back towards its rear end.
