Overwintering Distribution of Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in Yunnan, China, and Influencing Environmental Factors

Abstract

The first fall armyworm (FAW; Spodoptera frugiperda) attack in Yunnan, China, occurred in January 2019. Because FAW lacks diapause ability, its population outbreaks largely depend on environmental conditions experienced during the overwinter months. Thus, there is an urgent need to make short-term predictions regarding the potential overwintering distribution of FAW to prevent outbreaks. In this study, we selected the MaxEnt model with the optimal parameter combination to predict the potential overwintering distribution of FAW in Yunnan. Remote sensing data were used in the prediction to provide real-time surface conditions. The results predict variation in the severity and geographic distribution of suitability. The high potential distribution shows a concentration in southwestern Yunnan that suitability continues to increase from January to March, gradually extending to eastern Yunnan and a small part of the northern areas. The monthly independent contributions of meteorological, vegetation, and soil factors were 30.6%, 16.5%, and 3.4%, respectively, indicating that the suitability of conditions for FAW was not solely dominated by the weather and that ground surface conditions also played a decisive role. These results provide a basis for the precise prevention and control of fall armyworms by guiding management and decision-making and may facilitate meaningful reductions in pesticide application.