INSECT belong to the Phylum Arthropoda in the class of Insecta. There is subclass pterygota (winged insects). Pterygota is subdivided into Exopterogota (wings developed externally, no pupal stage and has incomplete metamorphosis) and Endopterogota (wings developed internally, pupal stage present, complete metamorphosis).
Exopterogota include order Orthoptera. Orthoptera consists of grasshoppers, locusts, crickets and earwigs. Other orders in Exoptera include Isoptera (termites), Heteroptera (true bugs, Stainers, Stink bugs, leaf bugs), order Homoptera (leafhoppers, planthoppers, aphids, whitefly, mealy bugs and scale insects) and then order Thysamoptera (thrips).
Endopterogota include order Hymenoptera (wasps, ants, saw-flies), order Coleoptera (beetles, weevils), order Diptera (flies, midges, gall wasps) and order Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths).
The six legged animal (Spodoptera frugiperda) belongs to the order Lepidoptera in the family Noctuidae. It is indeed a moth. Why are they six legged army? All Spodoptera frugiperda are army because the larvae can be gregarious and move through vegetation in large numbers.
Not all insects are harmful, some are very useful because of their contribution to the well being of humans. However, the supposedly harmful insects are essential to the balance of ecosystem. Hence, the goal of pest control sometimes should be keeping their population below economic threshold.
Insects become a pest once they are harmful and their population gets to economic threshold or economic injury level. It is a known fact that Crop pests have no respect for country boundaries). Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) referred to as six legged army was first found mainly in North America. It becomes an invasive alien pest in Africa beginning from Nigeria in 2016.
Since then, it has become a threat to food security and sustainable farming in Africa though, the preferred host is maize or other cereals, they are indeed polyphagous. They can invade almost all the crops grown in Africa.
Farmers generally employ any readily available and deadly method that achieve quick knockdown of pests. This is usually achieved by the use of synthetic insecticides.
However, the best method of managing insect pests, hence that of six legged army is the use of integrated pest management (IPM). This is the use of all control methods (physical, chemical, biological and cultural method) in economic and ecological balanced approach. However, since farmers normally want to use pesticides, the use of synthetic pesticides may not be appropriate especially by the subsistence, resources constrained Africa farmers. The reasons are obvious (1) the technical aspect of handling and (2) The cost of the synthetic pesticides.
However, Nigeria and of course Africa is blessed with plants biodiversity that resources limited farmers can exploit as crude extracts in the management of six legged army. Those plants include Aspilia africana (Yunyun), Datura stramonium (Gegemu), Ficus exasperata (Ipin), Alstonia boonei (Awun) (bark), Cnetis ferruginea (akara aje) or omu aja (roots, leaves and fruits), Newbouldia leavis (Ewe akoko) (bark), Mangifera indica (mangoro) (leaves and back), Hura crepitans (terebuje) and Crotons zambesicus (Aje obale) among others.
However, the farmer must be careful in handling Datura stramonium (Gegemu). The plants products are generally environmentally safe and enhance health, food security and sustainable farming.
- Dr Timothy Oluwafemi Ajiboye is an Entomologist, a biodiversity conservation expert and a striga management specialist and Principal Investigator of KAFACI Fall armyworm management Project in Nigeria. He works with National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), Moor Plantation, Apata, Ibadan, Nigeria.
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