The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is native to the Americas. It is a voracious insect and feeds on 80 plant species including corn, rice, and millet and is an economically important pest of corn in particular. Depending on the degree of infestation, fall armyworm can cause huge losses in maize yield and in some cases, total crop loss. In January of 2016, the pest was first reported in Nigeria. It soon spread and is now in over 20 African countries. It is estimated that this pest could cause a three billion dollar loss of corn on the African continent. 

These photos shows some of the damage taking place in Ethiopia and Niger, two of the affected countries.

Clip:
Virginia Tech News

Mohamud Abdu, a farmer in Halaba, Ethiopia, holds a fall armyworm between his fingers. They are easy to find in his field and are causing a lot of damage. Spraying pesticides do not deter the fall armyworm, but the chemicals do damage the maize plants.

A farmer near Maradi, Niger is very worried about the fall armyworm. His maize field is infested and he has lost most of his crop. He says spraying pesticides does not have much affect.