ASIAN CORN BORER
(Ostrinia furnacalis)
MA. MAVELYN G. CACA
MS Plant Pathology 2
ENTO 111- GENERAL ENTHOMOLOGY
ASIAN CORN BORER
(Ostrinia furnacalis)
A species of moth in the family
Crambidae, the grass moth
This moth exhibits unique acoustic
mimicry of a predator by
mirroring the echolocation calls of
bats in order to temporarily
paralyze female moths make it
easier to mate.
Know as being an agricultural pest
on several crops in Asia.
ASIAN CORN BORER
(Ostrinia furnacalis)
PHYSIOLOGY
Flight
- The adult moths are known for being strong, nocturnal fliers, and can fly up to
several miles in a single night. Lower humidity conditions inhibit the flight
ability of the adult.
Antenna
- The Asian corn borer has important receptors on their antennae that enable the
moth to detect olfactory cues for mate attraction and oviposition.
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE and HABITAT
The Asian corn borer is most commonly found throughout Asia and Southeast
Asia.
The Asian corn borer thrives in tropical regions because in these countries
there is continuous farming of its host crop through the year.
HOST RANGE
Sugarcane Sorghum Maize (Sweet corn)
Cotton Capsicum Ginger
LIFE CYCLE
Emerging larvae
Egg period was 3-4 days Larvae
Adult male Pupa stage period
Moth period was 2-7 days was 7-9 days
NATURE OF DAMAGE
This is an important pest, with
caterpillars doing the damage.
They bore holes into the stems and
cobs, and feed on the silk as well as
the kernels.
The mature caterpillars commonly
feed on the stalks.
Frass is seen around the holes.
The leaves may wilt above the entry
holes.
Maize yield loss due to Ostrinia
furnacalis, was approximately 20-80%
(CABI).
NATURE OF DAMAGE
DETECTION and INSPECTION
Look for plants that are wilting
Look for small piles of frass on the stems or cobs
(entry holes). Open the stem and cobs and look for the
pink caterpillar
MANAGEMENT
CULTURAL CONTROL
- Detasseling. Remove the tassels
(detasselings) from 75% of the
plants; (this will removes the
caterpillars from the plants, and
will takes away pollen that would
otherwise have fed the caterpillars.
- ETL (3-5 masses/100 plants)
- Early planting
- Sanitation
- Pest Free seedlings
MANAGEMENT
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
Trichogramma
- They lay their eggs inside the eggs of corn
borers and other moths. When the
Trichogramma hatch, they begin to eat the
developing caterpillar inside the egg.
- A parasitized caterpillar egg becomes black in
color as the young wasp develops inside it.
After 8-10 days inside the host egg, the young
Trichogramma wasp emerges as an adult. The
females are then ready to parasitize other moth
eggs. A female wasp can parasitize up to 50
moth eggs during its lifetime of 5-14 days.
MANAGEMENT
Release of predatory earwigs
The augmentative releases of earwigs
effectively controlled the ACB
infestation in corn.
In both small- and large-scale field
evaluations of green corn varieties, the
interventions of earwig releases
increased the corn yield by as high as
40%.
With the use of earwigs, cost of
production was reduced by 8% and
10% in open-pollinated varities (OPV)
and green corn, respectively.
MANAGEMENT
CHEMICAL CONTROL
- Synthetic insecticides are not recommended as they
interfere with the parasitoids that control Ostrinia
furnacalis.
Biopesticides. Neem (Water extracts from seed kernels)
has been used in trials in Papua New Guinea and found
to be effective.
MANAGEMENT
Bt Corn
Bacillus thuringiensis is a species of bacteria that produces
proteins that are toxic to certain insects.
It also of course means farmers can spend less time
applying insecticides but still be confident in the protection
of their crop from key pests which has both health benefits
for the growers and important environmental benefits.
Successful control of insects by Bt maize has many
scientists concerned that overuse of Bt maize could
produce pests resistant to Bt toxins.
Thank You!
