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Armyworm caterpillar
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University of Arkansas
Is this a Minor Pest?
Yes
Minor Pest Title
African armyworm (Spodoptera exempta)
Minor Pest Description
Armyworms may cause severe defoliation in upland rice plants leaving only the stem. Armyworms are regarded as occasional pests, but during an outbreak they devastate rice crops.
Minor Pest What to do.
- Monitor regularly the crop to detect small caterpillars before they cause serious damage. Look in field margins, low areas where plants have lodged, beneath plant debris around the base of plants, on the ground, and underneath the plant leaves.
- Spray Bt or botanicals such as neem and pyrethrum extracts. Spray when caterpillars are small. Once caterpillars are mature (about 3 to 3.5 cm long) they may have cause serious damage and it may no longer be economical to treat the crop. For more information on Neem click here, for Pyrethrum click here and for Bt click here
- Conserve and encourage natural enemies. For more information on Natural enemies click here
- Practise field sanitation. For more information on Field sanitation click here
Minor Pest Position
2
Minor Pest Firstcontent
136
Pest Type
insect
Custom1
Common names; Mystery worm, Barnosay
Host Plants
Rice
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