First report of the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith, 1797) in Romania

Abstract

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith, 1797) originates from the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas and has spread to Africa, Asia, Oceania and, more recently, to Europe. This paper provides the first official report of S. frugiperda in Romania. In the southern part of the country, adults of this species were caught in a pheromone trap in November 2023. The identification of fall armyworm was carried out at a morphological and molecular level. Barcode sequences of the Romanian specimens were obtained. No damage was observed in the fields surrounding the trap where the pest was captured. A brief description and information on the economic importance of S. frugiperda are given, mainly for maize, taking into consideration the major importance of this crop in Romania and for the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization region.