Pest Photo

J. Johnnie Van Den Berg

Spotted stem borer

Chilo partellus

Spotted stem borer (Chilo partellus) is an insect pest of crop grasses. It is a native of Asia and was first detected in Africa in 1920s.

Larval caterpillars consume stem tissue, eventually causing the plant stem to bend or break ("deadheart") which causes death of the plant. Affected crops include maize, sorghum, pearl millet, rice, and sugarcane.

For more information about this plant pest, see the CAPS data sheet.