Ostrinia furnacalis

Ostrinia furnacalis is a species of moth in the family Crambidae, the grass moths. It was described by Achille Guenée in 1854 and is known by the common name Asian corn borer since this species is found in Asia and feeds mainly on corn crop. The moth is found from China to Australia, including in Java, Sulawesi, the Philippines, Borneo, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Micronesia. The Asian corn borer is part of the species complex, Ostrinia, in which members are difficult to distinguish based on appearance. Other Ostrinia such as O. orientalis, O. scapulalis, O. zealis, and O. zaguliaevi can occur with O. furnacalis, and the taxa can be hard to tell apart. This moth exhibits unique acoustic mimicry of a predator by mirroring the echolocation calls of bats in order to temporarily paralyze female moths and make it easier to mate. It is also well known as being an agricultural pest on several crops in the western Pacific region of Asia, especially on corn. The Asian corn borer is second only to maize downy mildew as the most prevalent corn pest . There is currently extensive research on eradicating this pest from corn crop in Asia, including the use of biological agents and toxins. The Asian corn borer is most commonly found throughout Asia and Southeast Asia. More specifically, it is located in China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Lao, Myanmar, and Cambodia. There are also a limited number in the Solomon Islands, Africa, and parts of Australia. The Asian corn borer thrives in tropical regions because in these countries there is continuous farming of its host crop through the year. While the main food source for the Asian corn borer is corn, it also consumes and destroys bell pepper, cotton, hope, millet, pearl millet, foxtail millet, sugarcane, sorghum, and ginger. In addition, it can be found on a number of wild plants, as well, such as wormwoods, Job's tears, knotweeds, wild sugarcane, Johnson grass, and para grass. The larvae work their way through the host plant (typically maize), by beginning to feed on the underside, or whorl, of the leaves. Younger instars typically feed on the tassel of the plant, and then move on to feed in the ear. There they feed on the silk and kernels of the corn plant. Later instar stages begin to make their way into the plant by feeding on stalks. This allows them to be able to form pupae within the stems of the plant. Additionally, if the food supply of the current plant is limited, the larvae create silk that serves as a connection between plants so that they can travel from plant to plant. They are then transported by the wind through a process known as ballooning, where the strands catch the wind in order to transport the larvae. They also use existing silk strand connections to other plants as trails where they can hope to find a better food source that can also serve them as a location for pupation. The eggs of the Asian corn borer are found grouped at the base of and under the leaves of corn plants in masses of 25 to 50 eggs. They appear scaly and are laid in overlapping groups, resembling roof tiles and fish scales. The eggs are approximately half a millimeter long and white, turning black before emergence, which occurs 3 to 10 days after incubation. The Asian corn borer goes through six instar stages while in the larval phase. The first-instar larva is pinkish with dark spots and a dark head. The late instar larva is yellow brown with dark spots and reaches up to 2.9 centimeters in length. After 3 to 4 weeks, the caterpillar larvae transform into pupae for 6 to 9 days in a cocoon in the soil or stem of the plant, before becoming moths.