Maize, (Zea mays L.), is considered as the second most important cereal crop grown in Sri Lanka next to rice in terms of extent cultivated, foreign exchange involved in imports and agro-industrial utilization (Hindagala, 1980). Maize is cultivated mainly in two cropping seasons of the year namely maha (rainy season) under rainfed conditions and yala (dry season) under irrigated conditions. The total extent of maize cultivation in Sri Lanka is about 93,324 ha and annual production was about 368,864 mt in 2020 (Crop Forecast, 2020). Maize is used directly as food, livestock feed and raw material for numerous industrial purposes (Chaudhry, 1983). Several pests have been recorded on maize cultivation in Sri Lanka. Of these pests, the maize stem borer (Chilo partellus) and the new alien invasive pest Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) are considered as the economically important pests causing substantial yield losses of maize in Sri Lanka. Fall Armyworm (FAW) is a transboundary insect pest, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. In the absence of natural control or good management, FAW can cause significant yield losses to different crops including maize and more than 80 additional species of crops, including rice, sorghum, millet, sugarcane, vegetable crops and cotton (Andrews,1980). The occurrence of multiple generations, the ability to migrate, and the ability to feed on a wide range of host plants makes fall armyworm one of the most severe economic pests.

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