Sugarcane Internode Borer
Chilo sacchariphagus indicus
📖 Description
Sugarcane Internode Borer (INB) is a major pest of sugarcane across the Indian subcontinent, particularly damaging to crops 4-8 months after planting during internode formation. Adult female moths lay eggs on leaves and internodes. Newly hatched larvae bore into internodes, where they feed internally for several weeks, creating tunnels filled with frass. Internal feeding causes cane breakage, reduced weight, and reduced juice quality. Borer holes also provide entry points for red rot fungus, compounding damage. The pest is most damaging in high-nitrogen crops with succulent internodes. Detrashing (removing lower dried leaves) at 5 and 7 months exposes borers to natural enemies and is a key cultural practice. Pheromone trapping and biological control with Trichogramma are also essential.
⚠️ Symptoms to watch for
- Bore holes on internodes with frass and excrement
- tunneled internodes with internal cavities
- broken or bent canes at internode
- dead or drying tops
- red rot entry through borer holes
- reduced cane weight and juice quality
- yield loss 20-50%
🩹 Treatment
- Install pheromone traps @ 8/ha
- release Trichogramma chilonis @ 50
- 000/ha at internode formation
- apply neem oil 5ml/L
- remove and destroy infested canes
- use recommended insecticides at internode formation stage
🌿 Organic treatments
- Install pheromone traps @ 8/ha for monitoring and mass trapping
- release Trichogramma chilonis @ 50
- 000/ha weekly at internode formation (4-6 months after planting)
- apply Bacillus thuringiensis @ 2 g/L
- apply neem oil 5 ml/L
- remove and destroy infested canes (especially during detrashing)
- apply 5% NSKE
- light traps @ 1/ha
🧪 Chemical treatments
- Chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC @ 0.3 ml/L
- Indoxacarb 14.5 SC @ 1 ml/L
- Lambda-cyhalothrin 5 EC @ 1 ml/L
- Cartap hydrochloride 50 SP @ 2 g/L
- Emamectin benzoate 5 SG @ 0.5 g/L (spray at internode formation stage before larval entry)
🛡️ Prevention
- Plant resistant varieties (Co 86032, Co 94012)
- detrash canes at 5 and 7 months after planting to expose borers
- remove and destroy infested canes during detrashing
- install pheromone traps early
- avoid excessive nitrogen
- balanced fertilizer use
- conserve predatory bugs and parasitic wasps
- light trapping during moth flights
- deep plough after harvest to expose pupae
🪴 Affected plants
- Sugarcane (primary)
- Some Wild Grasses (Poaceae)
🦋 Natural predators
- Trichogramma chilonis
- Cotesia flavipes
- Sturmiopsis inferens
- Spiders
- Predatory Bugs
- Birds
🌱 Host plants
- Saccharum officinarum
- Saccharum spontaneum
- Erianthus spp.
🔄 Lifecycle
- Female lays 200-500 eggs in masses on leaves and internodes.
- Eggs hatch in 4-6 days.
- Larvae bore into internodes and feed for 30-50 days, passing through 5-6 instars.
- Pupation occurs inside the internode, lasting 7-12 days.
- Adults live 4-7 days.
- Total life cycle 40-65 days; 4-5 generations per year.
📅 Season
- Active Jun-Dec during cane growth, peak at 4-8 months after planting during internode formation
🔎 Appearance
- Adults are medium-sized, pale yellowish-white moths with dark spots and a dark stripe along the forewing.
- Larvae are yellowish-white with a brown head and four grey longitudinal stripes, growing up to 25 mm, found inside sugarcane internodes.
💥 Damage level
- High
🔁 Reproduction rate
- Moderate
🗺️ Geographic regions
- Indian Subcontinent
- Southeast Asia
- East Asia
Have an Insect to Identify?
Upload or take a photo of an insect on your plant and our AI will identify it and recommend treatments.
📷 Diagnose from Image