Spodoptera frugiperda Contingency Plan (Smith)

This document sets out the measures to be taken against the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith), a priority pest (according to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/1702) regulated in the European Union (EU) by Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 and Implementing Decision 2018/638 (EU), with the aim of preventing its appearance, and in the event that it appears, acting quickly and effectively, determining its distribution and combating it in order to prevent its spread and eradicate it. The importance of this pest belonging to the Noctuidae family lies in its high polyphagy, being able to feed on more than 100 species of host plants, many of them of great economic importance. Among its hosts, it shows preference for the Poaceae family, and is usually found in herbaceous plants, corn, rice, sorghum and sugarcane.