Often noticed in late summer, these highly destructive caterpillars crawl through once pleasantly green areas, and in just a few hours, turn them into brown wastelands.Īdult moths, which may be attracted by bright lighting, will lay up to 1,000 eggs in a single night. Native to the Americas, the armyworm was first detected in central and western Africa in early 2016, and within two years had spread across almost all of sub-Saharan Africa, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).The fall armyworm ( Spodotera frugiperda) is the caterpillar species most commonly associated with foliar damage seen on turfgrasses, such as bermudagrass ( Cynodon dactylon) and tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea) and home landscapes in South Carolina. The statement did not say how much acreage was affected, but said a large quantity of pesticides and spray pumps had been procured and distributed to the affected districts.

So far the districts where the armyworm caterpillars have been detected are mostly in Uganda's east, centre and north, the ministry said, with crops such as maize, millet and sorghum, as well as pastures affected. It said climate change had probably caused the infestation as the armyworm migrated to Uganda from countries that were hotter because of global warming. 'The severity and extent of outbreaks are increased by extended drought periods followed by early season rainstorms that facilitate migration of the moths,' the agriculture ministry said in a statement.

Its name derives from the fact it marches across the landscape in large groups while in the caterpillar stage, feasting on young plants and wiping out entire fields. Uganda has previously suffered from the pest, which become moths. Uganda is a significant maize producer and exports a large part of its annual output to neighbouring countries including South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya.ĭelayed rains in many parts of the east African country pushed back crop planting for the first season of this year, meaning most crops are still young when the impact of the an armyworm attack is most devastating. KAMPALA, April 12 (Reuters) - Uganda's government said on Tuesday it was deploying pesticides to fight an outbreak of African armyworm, which devastates cereal crops and has been discovered in 35 districts of the country.

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