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

Abstract

The beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua (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 S. exigua 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, S. exigua 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 S. exigua in the tropical area of China, establishing a theoretical foundation for its regional monitoring, early warning, and management in China and Southeast Asian countries.