www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/...all-armyworm
Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is an exotic pest that has been detected in Queensland.
Fall armyworm is reported to feed on more than 350 plant species, including maize, cotton, rice, sorghum, sugarcane, wheat, and vegetable and fruit crops, and have caused significant economic losses overseas.
Fall armyworm includes 2 subpopulations, or strains, that are morphologically indistinguishable but differ in their host plant preference and certain physiological features. Diagnosis by a laboratory is required to identify strain.
Destruction of crops can happen rapidly when infestation levels are high.
While this pest is native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, since 2016 it has rapidly spread to and throughout Africa, the Indian subcontinent, China and Southeast Asia.