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Morphological characteristics to identify fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from common polyphagous noctuid pests for all instar larvae in Japan

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Abstract

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is one of the most important pests, which was first found in Japan (Kagoshima Prefecture) in 2019. This study reports the morphological characteristics of all the larval instars in order to identify S. frugiperda among common polyphagous noctuid pests in Japan. In general, several larval characteristics of S. frugiperda are rudimentary or indistinct in early instars larvae, yet sufficiently distinguishable from the larvae of other species apart from the first instar. This stage shows considerable overlap among different species in the proportion of D1 and D2 pinacula widths to the spiracle on 8th abdominal segment, cuticle texture and prothoracic L setae arrangement.

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Acknowledgements

We sincerely thank Dr. Yooichi Kainoh (Laboratory of Applied Entomology and Zoology, University of Tsukuba), Dr. Makoto Tokuda (Laboratory of Systems Ecology, Faculty of Agriculture, Saga University), Dr. Masafumi Kobayashi (Japan Plant Production Association Ibaraki Research Institute) and Dr. Fumihiro Yoshinaga and Dr. Tatsuya Adachi (Fukuoka Agriculture and Forestry Research Center), for providing the initial populations of the insects used in this study.

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  1. Motonori Sasaki

    Present address: Risk Analysis Division, Yokohama Plant Protection Station, MAFF, 1-16-10, Shin-Yamashita, Naka-ku, Yokohama, 231-0801, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Division, Yokohama Plant Protection Station, MAFF, 1-16-10, Shin-Yamashita, Naka-ku, Yokohama, 231-0801, Japan

    Yuichi Higo, Motonori Sasaki & Takayuki Amano

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  1. Yuichi Higo
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  3. Takayuki Amano
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Correspondence to Yuichi Higo.

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Higo, Y., Sasaki, M. & Amano, T. Morphological characteristics to identify fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from common polyphagous noctuid pests for all instar larvae in Japan. Appl Entomol Zool 57, 263–274 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13355-022-00781-x

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