Fall Armyworm

Fall armyworms are caterpillars that behave like locusts—dense marching aggregations that devour crops as they advance. A single female moth produces up to 2,000 eggs; larvae mature in 14 days; populations can explode from undetectable to devastating within weeks. When local food depletes, caterpillars march to adjacent fields in coordinated waves, consuming everything in their path. The 'army' designation is earned.

Native to the Americas, fall armyworms invaded Africa in 2016 and spread across the continent within two years, then jumped to Asia. The invasion demonstrates how global trade routes provide highways for pest dispersal. Within five years of African arrival, fall armyworms caused billions of dollars in crop losses and threatened food security for hundreds of millions of people. No natural enemies existed in new territories; populations exploded unchecked.

The speed of geographic spread reveals vulnerability in globally connected agricultural systems. A pest confined to one continent can become global within years, moving faster than management systems can adapt. The business parallel illuminates invasion dynamics in connected markets. Competitive threats from distant markets—enabled by trade routes, digital connections, or regulatory changes—can arrive suddenly in previously protected territories. Like fall armyworms in Africa, new competitors may face no established resistance and spread faster than incumbents can respond. Global connection creates global vulnerability.