European corn borer, herbaceous perennials

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IPM Scouting in Herbaceous Perennials

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European corn borer

European corn borer larvae initially chew round holes in leaves and then tunnel into plant stems. European corn borer will attack a wide variety of herbaceous perennials grown outdoors. They are more problematic in areas adjacent to cornfields.

Management: Remove volunteer corn from adjacent areas. Applications of an insecticide derived from the soil bacterium Bacillus thurin-gensis var. kurstaki are effective on young larvae feeding on plant leaves but less effective on larvae that bore into plant tissues. Scout regularly using yellow sticky cards, which are attractive to the adults.

European corn borer larvae are 2 to 2.5 cm in length. They are gray to pink with a distinct black head. Dark brown spots are present on each segment of the abdomen.

This information was developed from A Pocket Guide for IPM Scouting in Herbaceous Perennials by Jan Byrne and Raymond A. Cloyd. Purchase this in a pocket-sized guide for reference in the orchard from MSU Extension (publication E-2981).

The MSU IPM Program maintains this site as an access point to pest management information at MSU. The IPM Program is administered within the Department of Entomology, fueled by research from the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, delivered to citizens through MSU Extension, and proud to be a part of Project GREEEN.
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Updated 8/08/07