A Review of Geographic Distribution, Overwintering and Migration in Spodoptera exigua Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract

The beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua Hübner 1808 is an outbreak herbivore and results in serious economic losses in many areas of the world. One of causes of population outbreak could be attributed to miss the optimal control chance based on incomprehension of the population source. We reviewed the advances of overwintering and migration of S. exigua based on geographic distribution to understand the population sources. The distribution regions of S. exigua increased 34 countries since 1972. Population dynamics of S. exigua during winter were different, but the overwintering regions are still vague and migratory trajectories are incomplete. The migratory phenomena, demonstrating moths have strong flight capacity, had been recorded in the United States, United Kingdom, Fennoscandia and Japan in spring and early summer, and back track in the United Kingdom and China in fall. On the basis of monsoon, geographic distribution and population dynamics during winter, we speculated that the population of S. exigua migrate northward in spring and early summer in China, and southward in fall in the United States and Japan.