Abstract:
It has been over five years since the first report of an outbreak of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda
(J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Africa. The highly invasive pest, native to the Americas, has since spread
across the African continent attacking many crops and causing significant yield loss to Africa’s staple crop, maize.
From the onset of the outbreak, there have been massive and varied responses from farmers, governments and
nongovernmental organizations. This mini-review provides various perspectives on S. frugiperda control in sub-
Saharan Africa, building on previously published evidence, and experiences of the authors. It also highlights new
technologies and lessons learned so far from the S. frugiperda outbreaks in sub-Saharan Africa, based on which
suggestions on possible integrated management approaches are proffered.
