Dark-headed stem borer

The adult moth is straw to light brown with silver scales and several black dots at the tip of the fore wing; the hind wing is yellow-white. The scale like pale yellow eggs overlap in the egg mass. The larva has a black head and black connecting thoracic plate, hence its name. On the abdomen, three dorsal and two lateral brown strip is distinct. The pupa is yellow-brown with two distinct bumps at the front of the head.

Plant hosts. Rice is not the only preferred host (rice, maize, sugarcane, Sacciolepsis, Scirpus, Setaria, Echinochloa).

Distinguishing characteristics.

√ Egg are laid in rows near the base of the leaves and on leaf sheaths, and are not covered with hair.

√ The head of the dark-headed stem borer larva is darker than the head of the striped stem borer larva.

√ One larva generally tunnels in a single stem.

√ The dark-headed stem borer is normally not abundant in rice, except in Malaysia.