Description

Adult

Length of 10 – 15 mm. Ground colour a dark brown to grey black and shining. All tibia armed with extensive hook like extensions.

Larvae

When mature about 12 mm long. Body is white and the head capsule dark reddish-brown. The last two abdominal segments are modified into a plate like structure giving a chopped off appearance. Eighth abdominal segment has a large elongate spiracle.

Eggs

White and sausage shaped, ca. 2mm long. Deposited singly into cavities created in leaf sheaths and stems and also on the corm.

Distribution

Southern and western Africa, southern Europe, southern Asia, Australasia and Central and South America.

Economic Host(s)

Banana and Plantain (Musa).

Symptoms/Signs

Young larvae initially feed on surface tissue causing the outermost leaf sheaths to die. Later the larvae tunnel into the inner sheaths and pseudostem base. Larval tunnelling can be extensive. The plant is weakened and can be blown over.

Generations:

1-3