Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Ecology in Southeastern Cotton

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), is a sporadic pest with a diverse host range. This insect occasionally causes damage to cotton across the United States from the Rocky Mountains to the East Coast. Fall armyworm has been problematic in cotton due to its overall tolerance to many insecticide use strategies and difficulty in finding and surveying field infestations with sampling protocols. A review of insect biology, description of life stages, behavior and host strain identification, injury to cotton, and potential management options for the southeastern United States are presented.