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Review
. 2025 Jun 19;16(6):645.
doi: 10.3390/insects16060645.

Managing African Armyworm Outbreaks in Sub-Saharan Africa: Current Strategies and Future Directions

Grace Kinyanjui  1   2 , Kahsay Tadesse Mawcha  1   3 , Lawrence Nkosikhona Malinga  4   5 , Kaitlyn Soobramoney  4 , Phophi Ṋethononda  6 , Yoseph Assefa  7 , Chibuzor Onyinye Okonkwo  1   8 , Dennis Ndolo  1
Affiliations
Review

Managing African Armyworm Outbreaks in Sub-Saharan Africa: Current Strategies and Future Directions

Grace Kinyanjui et al. Insects. .

Abstract

The African armyworm Spodoptera exempta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a significant pest that affects cereal crops and pasture grasses in sub-Saharan Africa. This migratory pest causes extensive defoliation, which can result in significant yield losses, particularly in maize. This review focuses on the recent outbreaks of the African armyworm and identifies key factors contributing to its success across sub-Saharan Africa. Understanding these factors is essential for developing effective and sustainable pest management strategies. This review emphasizes the importance of innovative technologies and data-driven approaches in managing pest outbreaks and underscores the need to implement technology-enabled integrated pest management (IPM) strategies to control the African armyworm effectively.

Keywords: innovative tools; integrated pest management; migratory pest; pest control.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Global distribution of the African armyworm. Countries highlighted in blue show the presence of the pest.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Recent outbreaks of African armyworm in South African provinces.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Drivers of African armyworm outbreaks in sub-Saharan Africa.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Management practices for the African armyworm in sub-Saharan Africa.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Haggis M.J. Distribution, Frequency of Attack and Seasonal Incidence of the African Armyworm Spodoptera exempta (Walk.) (Lep.: Noctuidae), with Particular Reference to Africa and Southwestern Arabia. Tropical Development and Research Institute; London, UK: 1984.

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