50-100 Word Discussion Reply 2

   The Fall Armyworm          

Good Afternoon Prof. / Class,

             For this week’s forum I invasive species that I choose was the Fall  armyworm which has been plaguing areas all around the world especially  in East Asia. In Asia, a common way that people live is by farming and  living off what they produce, so when their crops get infected by the  Fall armyworm it means trouble. The Fall armyworm or the Spodoptera frugiperda, is  a dangerous transboundary insect with a high potential to spread  rapidly due to its natural distribution and opportunities presented by  international trade (FAO, 2020). Which knowing this makes sense to how  it can be native to tropical regions from the United States to Argentina  and still make its way to Asia. I would say that given the  characteristics that I mentioned earlier that the way this species made  it to Asia was through international trade or by flying. One of the  characteristics that make this species so successful is how fast it fly,  being able to fly over 100 kilometers a night with the right wind (  Parker, 2019). When a crop is affected by the Fall armyworm it can be  detrimental because they cause serious leave eating damage. For example,   if it is a corn field the worms will eats the husks away and any part  of the stalk that has not silked yet, ultimately causing the farmer to  lose their crops (Bessin, 2019). One way that the small farmers are  combating these worms is by preparing ahead of time if they think that  their crops could be infected by the worm. Using pesticides and  chemicals to control the reproduction and continuous growth of the  species in the area is also another tactic used (Parker, 2019).