Population dynamics and seasonal migration patterns of Spodoptera exigua in northern China based on 11 years of monitoring data

The beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) is an important migratory pest worldwide that has caused serious economic losses in the main crop-producing areas of China. To effectively monitor and control this pest, it is necessary to investigate its interannual and seasonal migration patterns in northern China. In this study, we weekly monitored the population dynamics of S. exigua using sex pheromone traps in Shenyang, Liaoning Province from 2012 to 2022 and simulated the migration trajectories using the HYSPLIT model. Overall, the migration numbers varied significantly among years, with large migrations in 2018 and 2020 that resulted in a total catch of more than 2000 individuals.