Sugarcane-pest
Guides
Aclerda
flat grass scales
Aclerda is a genus of scale insects (family Aclerdidae) commonly known as flat grass scales. Species in this genus are legless as adults, with strongly reduced 1-segmented antennae and a unique anal apparatus. They inhabit leaf sheaths of grasses in hot, dry regions. The genus includes both sexually and parthenogenetically reproducing species, with unusual cytogenetic systems including heterochromatinization of one haploid chromosome set in males of some species.
Apinocis
Sugarcane rootstock weevil
Apinocis is a genus of weevils in the family Curculionidae, established by Lea in 1927. The best-known species is Apinocis deplanatus, commonly called the sugarcane rootstock weevil, which sporadically infests sorghum and sugarcane. Adults are small, dark beetles that overwinter in plant debris and migrate from wild grasses to cultivated crops. Larvae tunnel into stalk bases, causing lodging and secondary pathogen infection.
Apinocis deplanatus
sugarcane rootstock weevil
Apinocis deplanatus, commonly known as the sugarcane rootstock weevil, is a sporadic pest of sorghum and sugarcane in the southern United States. The species is associated with dry conditions and fields where johnsongrass is abundant. Adults overwinter beneath plant residues and infest wild grasses in spring before moving to cultivated sorghum. Larval tunneling in stalks near the soil surface causes the most significant damage, often resulting in lodging and secondary pathogen infection. Economic thresholds have not been established, and chemical control is rarely required.
Chilo
borers
Chilo is a genus of crambid moths (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) commonly known as borers. Species in this genus are primarily recognized as agricultural pests of graminaceous crops, particularly sugarcane. The genus includes economically significant species such as C. tumidicostalis (Plassey borer), C. sacchariphagus indicus (internode borer), C. auricilius (stalk borer), and C. suppressalis (striped rice stem borer). These moths are characterized by larval stages that bore into plant stems, causing substantial yield losses in tropical and subtropical agricultural regions.
Crambidae
Crambid Snout Moths, grass moths
Crambidae is a large family of Lepidoptera comprising over 10,000 species in more than 1,000 genera across 15 subfamilies. The family includes economically significant agricultural pests such as the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis), sod webworms (Crambus spp.), and the invasive box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis). Historically treated as a subfamily of Pyralidae, Crambidae was elevated to full family status based on the presence of a praecinctorium—a structure joining two tympanic membranes absent in Pyralidae. Members exhibit diverse morphologies: Crambinae (grass moths) are slender with wings folded tightly around the body at rest, while other subfamilies display bright coloration and rest with wings spread.
Diatraea crambidoides
southern cornstalk borer moth, southern corn stalk borer
Diatraea crambidoides is a moth in the family Crambidae whose larvae are significant agricultural pests of corn, sorghum, and sugarcane. The species was described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1880 and occurs in eastern North America from Alabama and northern Florida to Ohio and Maryland. Adults are straw-colored to dull white with wingspans of 15–40 mm. The species has two generations per year, with larvae boring into stalks and damaging internodes, reducing crop yield. It has been evaluated as a target for biological control using the parasitoid wasp Aprostocetus esurus.
Diatraea saccharalis
sugarcane borer, sugar-cane borer
Diatraea saccharalis, commonly known as the sugarcane borer, is a moth in the family Crambidae native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Western Hemisphere. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1794 and has since become a significant agricultural pest. It was introduced to Louisiana around 1855 and has subsequently spread throughout the Gulf Coast states of the United States. The larvae are particularly destructive to sugarcane, but also attack corn, rice, sorghum, and various grass species.
Digonogastra
Digonogastra is a genus of braconid wasps comprising approximately 260 described species distributed across Afrotropical, Nearctic, and Neotropical regions. Members are idiobiont ectoparasitoids that attack larval stages of stalk-boring Lepidoptera, particularly pyralid and crambid borers in gramineous crops. The genus has documented significance as a biological control agent for agricultural pests in sugarcane, maize, and sorghum systems.
Elasmopalpus
lesser cornstalk borer (for E. lignosellus)
Elasmopalpus is a genus of snout moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae, described by Émile Blanchard in 1852. The genus is restricted to the Americas and currently comprises three species. The type species E. angustellus was described with the genus, while E. corrientellus was added in 1888 and E. lignosellus in 1848. The genus is considered closely related to Ufa. The most well-known species, E. lignosellus (lesser cornstalk borer), is a significant agricultural pest of Poaceae and Fabaceae crops throughout the Americas.
Eoreuma loftini
Mexican rice borer, Mexican Rice-borer Moth
Eoreuma loftini, the Mexican rice borer, is a small moth in the family Crambidae described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1917. It is a significant agricultural pest of sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum, and lemongrass in the southern United States and Mexico. The species is invasive in the U.S. and is expanding its range northward at approximately 15 miles per year, having spread from Texas into Louisiana and Florida since 1980. Larval feeding inside plant stems causes characteristic damage including 'deadhearting' and 'whiteheading' in rice, and stem rot in lemongrass, resulting in substantial yield losses.
Euetheola rugiceps
Sugarcane Beetle
Euetheola rugiceps, commonly known as the sugarcane beetle, is a scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is a sporadic but serious pest of corn in parts of Texas, where damage to young plants by overwintered adults can result in plant death, stunting, or lodging. The species has one generation per year, with adults emerging from soil in spring and late summer to early fall. It is also known to damage sugarcane and other grass crops. The beetle is distributed across the eastern and central United States.
Inopus
sugarcane soldier fly, soldier fly
Inopus is a genus of soldier flies in the family Stratiomyidae, comprising approximately six described species native to Australia. The genus includes economically significant agricultural pests, particularly Inopus rubriceps (sugarcane soldier fly) and Inopus flavus, whose larvae feed on plant roots and cause substantial damage to sugarcane crops and pastures. Larvae develop underground for one to two years, while short-lived adults do not feed. Several species have been introduced to New Zealand and California, where they continue to impact agricultural systems.
Inopus rubriceps
Sugarcane soldier fly, Australian soldier fly
Inopus rubriceps is a soldier fly (Stratiomyidae) native to subtropical eastern Australia, where it has a long evolutionary history in Southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales. The species has been introduced to New Zealand (first recorded 1944) and California, where it establishes in warm, moist climates. Larvae develop in soil around plant roots, with a life cycle typically spanning 24 months but occasionally completing in 12 months. The species is an agricultural pest of sugarcane, pasture, oats, and maize, though not considered major.
Lagocheirus
Lagocheirus is a genus of longhorn beetles in the subfamily Lamiinae, established by Dejean in 1835. The genus includes species that have been documented as pests of agricultural crops, particularly cassava and sugarcane. One species, Lagocheirus araneiformis, has been recorded with phoretic mites inhabiting specialized pronotal pits, suggesting a possible mutualistic relationship. The genus occurs across a broad geographic range spanning the Americas from the southern United States through Central America and the Caribbean to South America.
Metamasius hemipterus
Silky Cane Weevil, West Indian Sugarcane Weevil, moleque-da-bananeira, broca-rajada
Metamasius hemipterus is a weevil species in the family Dryophthoridae, commonly known as the silky cane weevil or West Indian sugarcane weevil. It is a significant agricultural pest of sugarcane, banana, coconut, and ornamental palms. The species has been introduced to multiple regions beyond its native range and is now established across the Americas, Africa, and Oceania. Larvae bore into plant stalks and stems, causing direct and indirect damage that reduces crop productivity. The species is known to use aggregation pheromones and is associated with the endosymbiont "Candidatus Nardonella dryophthoridicola".
Metamasius hemipterus sericeus
silky cane weevil, West Indian sugarcane weevil
Metamasius hemipterus sericeus, commonly known as the silky cane weevil or West Indian sugarcane weevil, is a subspecies of weevil in the family Curculionidae. It is a significant agricultural pest of sugarcane and ornamental palms, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. The species is notable for its male-produced aggregation pheromones, which attract both sexes and are synergized by host plant volatiles. Management is challenging due to the cryptic habitat of boring larvae and high reproductive potential.
Pentodontini
rhinoceros beetles
Pentodontini is the most diverse tribe within the subfamily Dynastinae (rhinoceros beetles), containing over 100 genera distributed across multiple biogeographic regions. Most genera are restricted to a single biogeographic region. The tribe is characterized by substantial morphological diversity, with generic-level identification often relying on mouthpart morphology in females and secondary sexual characters (horns, claw modifications, antennal club length) in males.
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Perkinsiella is a genus of delphacid planthoppers in the family Delphacidae, containing more than 30 described species. Several species are significant agricultural pests, particularly of sugarcane. Perkinsiella saccharicida and P. vastatrix are known vectors of Fiji disease virus (FDV), which causes Fiji leaf gall in sugarcane. The genus has a broad distribution across Africa, Asia, Australasia, and the Pacific Islands.
Perkinsiella saccharicida
Sugarcane planthopper, Sugarcane delphacid, Sugarcane leafhopper
Perkinsiella saccharicida is a delphacid planthopper and a significant pest of sugarcane. It is the primary vector of Fiji disease virus (FDV), the causative agent of Fiji leaf gall, a major viral disease affecting sugarcane production. The species has been documented across Africa, Asia, Australia, Oceania, North America, and South America. Laboratory studies have established methods for rearing this species on sugarcane leaf segments, enabling research on virus transmission dynamics.
Prosapia
froghoppers, spittlebugs
Prosapia is a genus of froghoppers (family Ischnorhinidae) comprising approximately six described species distributed across North and Central America, including the Caribbean. These insects are commonly known as spittlebugs due to the protective foamy masses produced by nymphs. Several species are significant agricultural pests of forage grasses, turfgrasses, and sugarcane, causing economic damage through xylem feeding that induces water stress, tissue death, and reduced forage quality. The genus includes the invasive two-lined spittlebug (P. bicincta), which established in Hawaiʻi in 2016 and has since damaged thousands of hectares of cattle pastures.
Schistocerca pallens
bird grasshopper
Schistocerca pallens is a large bird grasshopper distributed throughout tropical America. Unlike its close relative Schistocerca cancellata, it lacks locust phase polymorphism and does not form swarms even under crowded laboratory conditions. It remains capable of reaching densities high enough to cause significant agricultural damage, particularly to sugar cane and other crops. The species serves as a natural host for the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium flavoviride, which has been investigated for biological control potential.
Sipha
yellow sugarcane aphid (for S. flava), hedgehog grain aphid (for S. maydis)
Sipha is a genus of aphids (Aphididae) in the tribe Siphini, with nearly cosmopolitan distribution. The genus includes notable agricultural pests, particularly Sipha flava (yellow sugarcane aphid) and Sipha maydis (hedgehog grain aphid). Species in this genus feed on grasses and cereal crops, with some capable of transmitting plant viruses such as barley yellow dwarf virus. Several species have expanded their ranges rapidly in recent decades, becoming significant pests of sorghum, sugarcane, wheat, and barley.
Stenocranus
delphacid planthoppers
Stenocranus is a genus of delphacid planthoppers in the family Delphacidae, containing more than 70 described species. Species within this genus exhibit wing polymorphism, with macropterous (long-winged) and sub-macropterous forms occurring in at least some species. Several species are documented crop pests, particularly of corn, rice, and sugarcane. The genus has a broad distribution with records from Europe, North America, and Asia, though individual species vary in their geographic ranges. Some species have shown invasive potential, with range expansions into new regions documented in recent decades.
Urophorus humeralis
pineapple beetle, yellow-shouldered souring beetle
Urophorus humeralis is a sap-feeding beetle in the family Nitidulidae, commonly known as the pineapple beetle or yellow-shouldered souring beetle. The species has a remarkably broad distribution spanning Africa, North America, Oceania, Southern Asia, Europe, and temperate Asia. It is an agricultural pest with documented associations to multiple crop plants, including a first reported infestation of pear fruits in China. The species has been identified as a vector of the plant pathogen Ceratocystis paradoxa in sugarcane in Hawaii, with adults preferentially attracted to diseased over healthy plant material.