Chilo suppressalis

Chilo suppressalis (Walker)
Striped Rice Borer
(one synonym: Jartheza simplex)
CRAMBINAE , CRAMBIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley

(Photo: courtesy of Department d'Agricultura, Ramdeira, y Pesca,
Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain)

These Caterpillars are pests. The Caterpillars bore into the stems of various plants in POACEAE, uncluding:

Rice ( Oryza sativa ).

Maize ( Zea mays ), and

Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ).

The Caterpillars are yellow, with five dim longitudinal lines. The Caterpillars grow to a length of about 2.5 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of Department d'Agricultura, Ramdeira, y Pesca,
Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain)

They pupate in their burrow, in a stem of their food plant.

(Photos: courtesy of Brian Cartwright, Adelaide Hills)

The forewings of the adult moths vary incolour from white to pale brown, each with one or more dark spots. The hindwings are white. The moths have a wingspan of about 2.5 cms. The female moths are somewhat larger than the males.

(Photo: courtesy of K.E. Mueller, International Rice Research Institute,
Los Banos, Philippines)

Eggs are pale yellow, and laid in masses of about 100.

The species occurs throughout south-east Asia, including :

China,

Japan,

Taiwan,
and in Australia in

the Northern Territory, and

South Australia.

Control of the pest is being attempted using :

the wasp : Cotesia flavipes ( BRACONIDAE ),

various agrobiologicals, and

pheromone traps.