First report of the occurrence of fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J E Smith) on finger millet (Eleusine coracana Gaertn) -in Gujarat, India

摘要

A study was conducted to identify the new invasive pest infesting finger millet in Gujarat, India. During the field visit in the month of September 2020, finger millet crop in experimental plots of Hill Millet Research Station, Rajendrapur farm, Waghai, the Dangs district, Gujarat were found infested with this new invasive pest. Damage per cent during second week of October in different villages of the Dangs rangedfrom 26.22 to 46.82 per cent. Larvae were collected and brought to the laboratory of Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Navsari Agricultural University, Waghai for identification andfurther study. Based on morphological characterization, the pest was identified as fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J E Smith) and it is the first confirmed report of occurrence of new invasive pest in finger millet crop of Gujarat, India.