Southwestern corn borer

The southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella, is a moth belonging to the sub-order Heterocera. Like most moths, The southwestern corn borer undergoes complete metamorphosis developing as an egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa and adult. It is capable of entering diapause in its larva stage and under the conditions of a precise photoperiod. Growth and development are regulated by juvenile hormones. The southwestern corn borer has an extensive range. It occurs in Mexico and in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. Known host plants of D. grandiosella include sugarcane, forage and grain sorghums, broomcorn, and Johnsongrass, teosinte, and millet well as field corn, popcorn, and sweetcorn. It remains a serious agricultural pest of corn (maize).