Introduction

BackgroundThe fall armyworm (FAW) (Spodoptera frugiperda) has proliferated in Africa and Asia, garnering significant attention due to the considerable damage it causes to Poaceae crops, especially maize (Prasanna et al. 2018(Prasanna et al. , 2021;;Kenis et al. 2023).Native to the Americas (Sparks 1979), the FAW was first identified in West Africa in 2016.Since then, reports of its presence have emerged across Africa and Asia over a short period, raising concerns among researchers and policymakers (Goergen et al. 2016;Sharanabasappa et al. 2018; Grow Asia 2020;Kenis et al. 2023).Known for its voracious appetite, the FAW infests 353 types of host plants and prefers maize (Montezano et al. 2018;Hruska 2019).The FAW has caused substantial economic damage, prompting extensive discussions concerning its impact in Africa and the potential risk to maize production in Southeast Asia (