Short pest overview:

Ostrinia nubilalis is a moth of the family Crambidae which includes other grass moths. It is a pest of grain, particularly corn (maize or Zea mays). European corn borer caterpillars damage corn by chewing tunnels through many parts of the plant. This decreases agricultural yield.

Geographic Distribution:

The European corn borer is native to Europe and was introduced to North America in the early 20th century.

Life Cycle:

The average adult lifespan is 5-20 days and adults can mate more than once. The maximum number of eggs produced per female is 1250 (average 500-600 eggs/female). Depending on climatic conditions, development time for eggs vary from 3-9 days and pupa 10-25 days.