Survival of the Sugarcane Borer Overwintering in Corn Stalks in Louisiana

Reason for the absence of the sugarcane borer, Diatraca saccharalis (F.), from the intervening areas between the commercial sugarcane producing sections of Texas, Louisiana, and Florida is not presently understood. Com, a preferred host of this insect, is well distributed over most of this area. Results of a 2-year investigation of this species overwintering in old cornstalks are given. The insect entered the winter in the larval stage inside cornstalks. Under normal winter conditions larval development continued place in the spring. All larvae in the stalks were killed in the winter of 1961-62. The data presented show this species is capable of overwintering under average weather conditions in old cornstalks in the Baton Rouge area, and that a relatively high number of overwintering larvae emerge as adults the following spring. The red-winged blackbird, Agelaius Phoeniceus phoeniceus (L.), was observed to be an effective predator on this insect overwintering in cornstalks.