Description

Adult

Wingspan of 30-40 mm. Forewings grey to yellowish, marked with a marginal band and small rounded spots. Hindwings are uniformly white.

Larvae

Final instars reach 30-40 mm in length. Body colour variable ranging from yellowish to brownish, rust coloured dorsally.

Eggs

Grooved and whitish in colour, becoming creamy pink with age. Laid in small batches beneath leaf sheaths.

Distribution

Africa, southern Europe and the Middle East.

Economic Host(s)

Rice, maize, sorghum, sugarcane

Symptoms/Signs

Larvae rarely feed on the outer leaves, preferring to bore into stems to feed within galleries that become filled with frass. Stem feeding by the larvae results in the death of growing points, dead hearts, stem breakage and wilting of leaves. Larvae also feed on flowers and fruits of some hosts.

Generations:

2-4 (depending on temperatures)