Fall armyworm migration in North America

Fall armyworm is a major pest of a number of agricultural crops throughout the western hemisphere. Because it does not survive freezing winters, infestations in most of the central and eastern United States and Canada result from annual migrations from overwintering sites in Florida and Texas. A detailed description of these movements is a prerequisite for identifying the factors that determine the timing and direction of migration and for developing models that can predict the severity of infestations at the migratory destinations. We have developed a molecular method for monitoring fall armyworm population movements that make possible a detailed description of migratory behavior. Here we describe the most recent results of our ongoing mapping of the migratory pathways from Texas and Florida.