Species of Stalk Borers (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and Damage to Maize in Southeastern Mexico

Stalk borers (Diatraea spp.) are important pests of maize, Zea mays L., in the Neotropical region. The objective of this research was to identify the Diatraea species and assess the injury they cause and their effect on yield of maize at Tabasco, Mexico. In total, 199 larvae and 54 pupae were found infesting 319 (62.4%) of 511 plants sampled. Species analyses showed 97.6% were Diatraea lineolata (Dyar) and 2.4% D. saccharalis (F). Despite the great amount of injury, no significant difference between yield and the number of nodes injured per plant was observed (R-2 = 0.014, P > 0.05). This is the first report of corn borers injuring maize in this area, and the findings suggest economic damage does not occur when stalk injury is <63% and maize matures before the borers complete development.