Fungus Found to Kill Devastating African Armyworm Pest
African farmers have been plagued by the African armyworm, a destructive pest that can eat staple crops and cause livestock to fall ill. But scientists in South Africa may have found a solution: a naturally occurring fungus that kills the caterpillars.
The fungus was discovered in 2025 by entomologist Letodi Luki Mathulwe in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, where it had been killing off African armyworms. Mathulwe's team tested the fungus and found that it could be used to control the pest.
The African armyworm causes significant damage to crops such as maize and sorghum, and releases a chemical compound in grass that can make cattle sick. Outbreaks of the pest have had devastating effects on farmers in countries such as Zambia, where an outbreak in 2017 destroyed up to 40% of the country's maize production.
Mathulwe believes that the fungus could be developed into a product for use by farmers, providing them with a new tool to control the pest and protect their crops. She notes that while there are chemical treatments available for early stages of the armyworm's life cycle, nothing has proven effective against mature populations.