Seasonal Migratory Activity of the Beet Armyworm <i>Spodoptera exigua</i> (Hübner) in the Tropical Area of China

The beet armyworm <i>Spodoptera exigua</i> (Hübner), a global pest, feeds on and affects a wide range of crops. Its long-distance migration with the East Asian monsoon frequently causes large-scale outbreaks in East and Southeast Asia. This pest mainly breeds in tropical regions in the w...

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Main Authors: Xudong Wang, Qing Feng, Xianyong Zhou, Haowen Zhang, Shaoying Wu, Kongming Wu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Insects
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/15/12/986
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author Xudong Wang
Qing Feng
Xianyong Zhou
Haowen Zhang
Shaoying Wu
Kongming Wu
author_facet Xudong Wang
Qing Feng
Xianyong Zhou
Haowen Zhang
Shaoying Wu
Kongming Wu
author_sort Xudong Wang
collection DOAJ
description The beet armyworm <i>Spodoptera exigua</i> (Hübner), a global pest, feeds on and affects a wide range of crops. Its long-distance migration with the East Asian monsoon frequently causes large-scale outbreaks in East and Southeast Asia. This pest mainly breeds in tropical regions in the winter season every year; however, few studies have investigated associations with its population movements in this region. From 2017 to 2023, we monitored its population dynamics in a tropical site, located in Hainan Province of China, using a searchlight trap. Dissection of the ovaries of female <i>S. exigua</i> moths captured from the air revealed that most of them were reproductively mature and could be classified as a transit migratory population. Migration occurred most often in summer and least often in winter, with an increasing trend over the years. According to a trajectory model analysis based on the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, <i>S. exigua</i> migrated from Hainan Island to mainland China in the spring, primarily moved from the areas of Southeast Asia to Hainan and mainland China during the summer, and returned from China to Southeast Asia in the autumn and winter. Overall, our research defines the movement paths of <i>S. exigua</i> in the tropical area of China, establishing a theoretical foundation for its regional monitoring, early warning, and management in China and Southeast Asian countries.
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spelling doaj-art-37bf86c337704591bbf7e925ecba95892025-08-20T02:53:19ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502024-12-01151298610.3390/insects15120986Seasonal Migratory Activity of the Beet Armyworm <i>Spodoptera exigua</i> (Hübner) in the Tropical Area of ChinaXudong Wang0Qing Feng1Xianyong Zhou2Haowen Zhang3Shaoying Wu4Kongming Wu5School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, ChinaCollege of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaThe State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, ChinaThe State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, ChinaSchool of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, ChinaThe State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, ChinaThe beet armyworm <i>Spodoptera exigua</i> (Hübner), a global pest, feeds on and affects a wide range of crops. Its long-distance migration with the East Asian monsoon frequently causes large-scale outbreaks in East and Southeast Asia. This pest mainly breeds in tropical regions in the winter season every year; however, few studies have investigated associations with its population movements in this region. From 2017 to 2023, we monitored its population dynamics in a tropical site, located in Hainan Province of China, using a searchlight trap. Dissection of the ovaries of female <i>S. exigua</i> moths captured from the air revealed that most of them were reproductively mature and could be classified as a transit migratory population. Migration occurred most often in summer and least often in winter, with an increasing trend over the years. According to a trajectory model analysis based on the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, <i>S. exigua</i> migrated from Hainan Island to mainland China in the spring, primarily moved from the areas of Southeast Asia to Hainan and mainland China during the summer, and returned from China to Southeast Asia in the autumn and winter. Overall, our research defines the movement paths of <i>S. exigua</i> in the tropical area of China, establishing a theoretical foundation for its regional monitoring, early warning, and management in China and Southeast Asian countries.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/15/12/986<i>Spodoptera exigua</i>migration trajectoryovary developmentregional management
spellingShingle Xudong Wang
Qing Feng
Xianyong Zhou
Haowen Zhang
Shaoying Wu
Kongming Wu
Seasonal Migratory Activity of the Beet Armyworm <i>Spodoptera exigua</i> (Hübner) in the Tropical Area of China
Insects
<i>Spodoptera exigua</i>
migration trajectory
ovary development
regional management
title Seasonal Migratory Activity of the Beet Armyworm <i>Spodoptera exigua</i> (Hübner) in the Tropical Area of China
title_full Seasonal Migratory Activity of the Beet Armyworm <i>Spodoptera exigua</i> (Hübner) in the Tropical Area of China
title_fullStr Seasonal Migratory Activity of the Beet Armyworm <i>Spodoptera exigua</i> (Hübner) in the Tropical Area of China
title_full_unstemmed Seasonal Migratory Activity of the Beet Armyworm <i>Spodoptera exigua</i> (Hübner) in the Tropical Area of China
title_short Seasonal Migratory Activity of the Beet Armyworm <i>Spodoptera exigua</i> (Hübner) in the Tropical Area of China
title_sort seasonal migratory activity of the beet armyworm i spodoptera exigua i hubner in the tropical area of china
topic <i>Spodoptera exigua</i>
migration trajectory
ovary development
regional management
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/15/12/986
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