Also known as Neotropical maize borer, Neotropical corn stalk borer
Diatraea lineolata

Damage to plants

• Young plants suffer from feeding in the whorl and dead heart (destruction of the growing point).
• Tunneling of the stems, causing interference with nutrient and water translocation.
• Boring in the stems leading to plant lodging.
• Boring in the ears, which can increase prevalence of ear rots.

Signs

• Dead heart.
• Perforations and feeding damage on emerging leaves.
• Crop lodging.

Factors favoring insects / pest development

• Reduced tillage methods, which enable the larvae to overwinter in the diapause stage.
• Mild winters, which favor survival of overwintering larvae.

Geographic distribution

• This borer occurs in Central America, the Caribbean region and northern parts of South America.

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