Larval-diapause
Guides
Diatraea
sugarcane borer, stalk borer
Diatraea is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae comprising approximately 40 described species. The genus is best known for several economically important stalk-boring pests of grass crops, particularly sugarcane, corn, sorghum, and rice. Larvae tunnel within plant stems, causing reduced yield, lodging, and increased susceptibility to pathogens. Several species have been the focus of extensive biological control programs, notably using parasitoid wasps such as Cotesia flavipes and Trichogramma galloi. The genus is distributed throughout the Americas from the southern United States to Argentina.