Also known as Southwestern corn borer
Diatraea grandiosella
Damage to plants
- Feeding in the whorl causing dead heart.
- Tunneling of the stems and ears causing interference with nutrient and water translocation.
- Boring in the ears, which can increase prevalence of ear rots.
- Girdling of the stem near the soil surface, causing lodging.
Signs
- Pinholes and perforations in young leaves emerging from the whorl.
- Tunneling in the stems and ears.
- Lodging.
- Dead heart.
Factors favoring insects / pest development
- Reduced tillage methods will allow larvae to overwinter in infested crop stems.
- Mild temperatures and low rainfall during the off season will aid the survival of larvae in diapause.
- Low number of natural predators.
Geographic distribution
- Southern USA, Central America and the Caribbean.