Farmers urged to keep eye out for armyworms

Following multiple reports of the native armyworms across Victoria, farmers are encouraged to learn how to correctly identify them.
Agriculture Victoria's Gippsland horticulture program coordinator Scott Botten said often, native armyworms could be mistaken for Fall armyworm (FAW).
"FAW are native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas but have quickly spread across the world, including to Australia after being found in every state," Mr Botten said.
"The Fall armyworm, also known as Spodoptera frugiperda, is a highly invasive and destructive caterpillar that poses a significant threat to plant species.
"They are known to feed on more than 350 plant species, including maize, cotton, rice, sorghum, sugarcane, wheat and other vegetable and fruit crops," he said.
When identifying FAW, Mr Botten said there were a number of key signs to look out for:
Eggs are laid on the underside of leaves in masses of 100 to 300, usually with a protective cover of fine bristles;
Newly hatched larvae (caterpillars) are 1mm long, pale greenish with a black head;
Mature caterpillars are smooth bodied and grow up to 40mm in length;
Ranging in colour from dark yellow to green, brown and black, with prominent lighter stripes running the length of the body; and,
Males have two distinct white marks on each of the forewings.
While having a similar appearance to other armyworm species commonly found in Victoria, Mr Botten said FAW could be distinguished by the inverted "Y" shape on the head.
"Correctly identifying FAW is especially vital during the late summer and early autumn months, with the larvae being most active around this time," he said. "If you think you have identified a FAW and aren't sure of next steps, contact your local agronomist for advice."
Further information on Fall armyworm, including monitoring and how to identify it, can be found at agriculture.vic.gov.au/biosecurity or grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications