Sugarcane stem borers of the genus of Diatraea (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) form a species complex that causes serious economic losses to sugarcane production in the Cauca River Valley and other regions of Colombia. Two primary species, Diatraea saccharalis (F.) and D. indigenella Dyar and Heinrich, have been effectively managed for more than 4 decades through augmentative releases of the tachinid flies Lydella minense (Townsend) and Billaea claripalpis (Wulp) (Diptera: Tachinidae) and the egg parasitoid Trichogramma exiguum Pinto & Platner (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). Here we review the current pest status of Diatraea species, damage assessment protocols, management tactics, and the environmental factors and cultural practices that can affect biological control outcomes. Recent changes in the cultivars grown have the potential to increase pest populations and diminish biological control efficacy. Additionally, recent outbreaks of new Diatraea species may further increase overall pest pressure. Thus, there is a need to develop supplementary tactics for the management of these pests that will be compatible with biological control, as well as more reliable protocols for assessing host plant resistance against the increase in infestation intensity.
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1 June 2015
Sugarcane Stem Borers of the Colombian Cauca River Valley: Current Pest Status, Biology, and Control
Germán Vargas,
Luis A. Gómez,
J. P. Michaud
Florida Entomologist
Vol. 98 • No. 2
June 2015
Vol. 98 • No. 2
June 2015
augmentative release
Billaea claripalpis
control biológico por aumento
Diatraea
Lydella minense
Tachinidae
Trichogramma exiguum