First record of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in Syria

The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda is a lepidopteran pest that can damage and destroy a wide variety of crops. It is widely present in the Americans and has been invasive in Africa since 2016. Larvae of S. frugiperda were found for the first time in four rural farms on maize plants (Zea mays) located in Tafas town (Dara'a Governorate, in the south-west of Syria) in November 2020. Infested maize showed the typical damage symptoms caused by S. frugiperda. Furthermore, morphological identification of larvae based on standard parameters of larvae confirmed the identity of the pest as fall armyworm. Considering the recent introduction of the pest into the EPPO region, it could be concluded that the pest probably entered Syria through natural spread (active flight and via wind currents) from Jordan, which borders Syria in the southern part and where the pest was found very recently.