Maize stem borer/ pale headed striped borer(Chilo partelus )
Damaging stage :larval stage
Damaging symptoms :dead heart (vegetative stage ), white ear(reproductive stage).
Identification
- Egg: mid rib of lower part of leaf ,scale like creamy white
- Larva: reddish brown head ,4 purple brown longitudinal stripes along the body (middle stripes is lighter than two along on each side )
- Pupa : inside the maize stalk
- Adult : male – Forewing : dark brown scale forming as streak along the costa Hindwings : straw color
Female – Forewings: its has more paler forewings Hindwings : white color .
Management
- Collect and destroy (egg ,larvae , pupa and adult )
- Install light trap
- Push pull strategy push – desmodium , pull – napier grass / elephant grass
- Egg parasitoid : trichogramma chilonis
- Larval parasitoid : cotesia flaviceps (braconidae) , dentichasmia busseolae(ichneumonidae)
- Conserve spider , mired , damsel fly , water bug
- Bacillus thuringenesis based formulation such as dipel or biolep@3g/l
- Apply chloropyrifos 20% Ec @2ml/l.