Chilo sacchariphagus indicus (Kapur)

Taxonomic position

Insecta: Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea: Crambidae: Crambinae

Common name

Internode borer

Habitat / Crop(s) damaged

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum); alternate hosts include S. spontaneum, sorghum, Johnson grass (Sorghum halepense), bajra, rice, Echinocloa colona, etc. (David, 1986).

Neonate larvae feed on the leaf spindle or leaf sheath by scraping the tissues and characteristic white streaks are seen on leaf lamina when it opens. Later, the larvae bore into the tender cane top and most of the borer attack is found in the top five immature internodes. In ratoon crop, formative internodes are badly damaged, resulting in the formation of deadhearts, which do not emit a foul smell when pulled out. The larvae feed on the inner tissues and the frass is pushed out to the exterior. Full grown larva has four longitudinal stripes on the dorsal side with violet spots. Affected internodes are shorter in length and girth, become hardened and crushing becomes difficult. Cane weight, juice content and quality are affected due to borer damage (David, 1986).

Pest status

A major pest of sugarcane in southern and northern states of India (Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh).

Selected reference

David, H. 1986. The internode borer, Chilo sacchariphagus indicus (Kapur), pp. 121-134. In: Sugarcane entomology in India (David et al., Eds), Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, India.

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