[Objectives]  To improve the forecasting and control of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda in maize fields. [Methods]  The five-spot sampling method was used to monitor the fall armyworm larvae population in spring, summer and autumn, maize crops were in Wuhan, Jingzhou and Xiangyang cities. Dispersal of larvae was investigated by experimentally infesting maize crops with newly hatched larvae. [Results]  Larvae began to occur during the big-bell mouth stage in spring maize fields in Wuhan, peaked during the tasseling stage [(3.58 ± 0.56) larvae per 100 plants], and were not detected in the dough stage. In summer maize crops, larvae began to occur during the jointing stage. Larval density was highest during the silking stage in Jingzhou [(51.39 ± 4.62) larvae per 100 plants], and some larvae were still alive in the dough stage in Xiangyang. Larvae were present from the seedling stage to the wax-ripening stage in autumn maize crops in Wuhan and Jingzhou but peak numbers were observed during the silking stage in Jingzhou [(25.00±2.61) larvae per 100 plants]. The results of the dispersal experiment indicate that larvae gradually disperse from the release point to surrounding maize plants with dispersal taking place during the 2nd, 3rd and 4th instars. Significantly more plants were colonized by 3rd instar larvae than by 2nd and 4th instar larvae. At an initial density of 150 newly hatched larvae per plant, the horizontal dispersal distance of the entire larval stage was (352.50 ± 17.02) cm; about 3.5 times that with an initial density of 10 larvae per plant. Easterly winds were the most common (40%) during the period of larval dispersal, and 60.32% of larvae moved westward, significantly more than moved in other directions. [Conclusion] Fall armyworm larvae occur in spring, summer and autumn maize crops, and reach peak abundance in the tasseling and silking stages. 3rd instar larvae disperse the most and the dispersal distance if the initial larval density was higher. The majority of larvae dispersed downwind.