First report of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Onion (Allium cepa L.) in South Kivu, Eastern DR Congo

First report of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Onion (Allium cepa L.) in South Kivu, Eastern DR Congo

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797), has become one of the most devastating pests in the world with diverse host range. To develop effective integrated management strategies against S. frugiperda, it is crucial to know its alternative host plants. In this study, we provide the first information on the occurrence of S. frugiperda in onion crops in Africa. Its presence in onion crops represents a significant piece of information in the development of an integrated management strategy for this pest in the future. Knowing onion as reservoirs of S. frugiperda individuals will allow setting up a trapping system in the vegetable crops of the region during the dry season, in order to limit infestations in the corn crop at the beginning of the growing season. Effective control practices against S. frugiperda will have to consider the presence of host plants in and around maize fields throughout the year.