Guardian Nature School Team Contact Blog Project Noah Facebook Project Noah Twitter

A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife

Join Project Noah!
nature school apple icon

Project Noah Nature School visit nature school

Asiatic Pink Stem Borer

Sesamia inferens

Description:

The Asiatic pink stem borer, Gramineous stem borer, Pink borer, Pink rice borer, Pink rice stem borer, Pink stem borer, Pink stem borer, Purple borer, Purple stem borer or Purplish stem borer (Sesamia inferens (Walker, 1856)) is a moth of the Noctuidae family, subfamily Hadeninae. Geographical Distribution: It is found in the Indian subcontinent, Japan, Southeast Asia including the Philippines, and east to Australasia. Adult moths are stout, fast flying insects having a wingspan of about 3.5 cm. They are straw colored with hairy body, having a dark brown streak in the middle of forewing. Hind wing is dull whitish in color without any markings. Eggs are yellowish and laid in 1-3 rows like beads on the inner surface of the leaf sheath. Incubation period is about a week. The hatched larvae are pink to purplish pink in color, lighter on the ventral side, smooth and cylindrical with a reddish-brown head and 25 mm long. They bore into the stem and make it hollow and attack several tillers before becoming full grown in 25-35 days. Pupation normally takes place inside the stem and sometimes outside in hidden places such as between leaf sheath and stem. There is no cocoon formation. Pupa is 18 mm long, dark brown with purple tinge on the head region. This is a polyphagous pest that attacks food plants, many of which are of economic importance, including wheat, rice, sorghum, finger millet, barley, sugarcane, bajra, maize and several wild grasses.

Habitat:

Backyard.

Notes:

Distribution range: http://www.cabi.org/dmpp/?loadmodule=rev...

Species ID Suggestions



Sign in to suggest organism ID

3 Comments

Hello erodelavega99. I saw this one on March 23, 2013. I think I only saw a couple of these moths in our dirty kitchen during that time. Regards!!

erodelavega99
erodelavega99 9 years ago

Hi Ms. Agnes :) kelan nyo po ito nakita at gaano po sya karami sa inyong lugar ? :)
thank u maam

AgnesAdiqueTalavera
AgnesAdiqueTalavera 10 years ago

Thanks Noel! :)

Biñan, Laguna, Philippines

Spotted on Mar 23, 2013
Submitted on Jan 23, 2014

Related Spottings

Corn-stalk-borer Corn-stalk-borer

Nearby Spottings

Meadow Spittlebug Common Male Fern Brown-winged Stink Bug Striped Mealybug
Noah Guardians
Noah Sponsors
join Project Noah Team

Join the Project Noah Team