Northern armyworm

The adult eclosion showed its peak 2 hr after sunset in fields, and most newly emerged adults are unable to fly until sunset of the next day because of the teneral period. Field observation confirmed that the adults have a habit of ascending flight around sunset on and after day 1 after eclosion. In the presence of wind, the adults fly downwind. During migration, the adult probably flies at night and descends at break of dawn during ovel'land flight. This is presumed from experiments
on flight activity using flight balancet, and by field observation of take-off and of flight for feeding in the evening. However, during "overwater" flight such as over the sea or river, the adult would continue to fly in the daytime till reaching land, which is presumed by the observation that the immigrant adu lt did not land on paddy fields filled with water after rice planting. Strong wind, high mountains, low temperature, and host plants could also affect landing. After landing, the adults fly to nectar sources such as acacia or bush clover planted around pasture. Both sexes then become sexually mature and mate, and enter the reproductive
cycles.