Updates on the insect pests of corn

in the Philippines

Eleven insect pest species of economic importance

1. Corn seedling maggot
2. Corn white grub
3. Common cutworm
4. Corn semi-looper
5. Corn armyworm
6. Corn earworm
7. Corn borer
8. Corn silk beetle
9. Corn leaf aphid
10. Corn planthopper
11. Fall armyworm
 CHEWING PESTS
 Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenee) (Crambidae)
 Corn earworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Noctuidae)
 Common cutworm, Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Noctuidae)
 True armyworm, Mythimna separata (Walker) (Noctuidae)
 Corn semi-looper, Chrysodeixis eriosoma (Doubleday) (Noctuidae)
 Corn seedling maggot, Atherigona oryzae Malloch (Muscidae)

Sucking Pest
 Corn planthopper, Stenocranus pacificus
 Corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis
Corn seedling maggot, Atherigona oryzae

adult larva or maggot whorl damage

Corn semi-looper, Chrysodeixis
eriosoma
Army worms and Cut
worms

Mythimna separata Spodoptera mauritia S. litura (Fabricius Spodoptera frugiperda

(Walker acronyctoides (J.E. Smith)
(Guenée)
Corn earworm, Helicoverpa armigera
Corn leaf
aphid

Corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis.

Sugarcane leaf aphid, Melanaphis sacchari.

Corn planthopper, Stenocranus pacificus
Corn silk beetle, Monolepta bifasciata
4th instar larvae feed on the silk, enter the developing ear and later bore
deeper into the cob
Corn borer, Ostrinia
furnacalis
Egg
 laid in a scale-like mass (about 25-50
egg/egg mass) usually underneath
sometimes on the upper surface of
leaves near the midrib.

 Shiny, flat and whitish in color, turns

before hatching

 Incubation period about 3-4 days.

Larva
•Newly hatched: Pinkish with black
head and dark semi-circular spots,
body color turns creamy to dirty
white when larva matures.

• 5-6 instars from 14 - 41 days

( average 18 days)
Pupa
•About 12-18 mm long and 2.8 - 4
mm wide.

•Light pink; turns brown when about

to emerge.

•Pupal period about 7 - 9 days.

Adult
•Male moth pale to dark brown with the apical
portion of the forewings usually crossed by
2 zigzag lines darker than the rest of the wings.

•Female moth stouter than the male and color

varies between shades of yellow and light brown.

•Lays about 313 eggs for a period of 2.43 days.

 Damage
Vegetative Stage (Mid - Late whorl))
Infestation starts 4 weeks after planting and lasts until
harvest

Pin-head size holes or pinholes on leaves

caused by feeding of newly hatched larvae

shot holes or match-head size holes caused by

2nd to early 3rd instar larvae
 Damage
Reproductive Stage (Tasseling – Maturity)

High larval population : clumping of tassel

breakage of tassel
Fresh granular feces at the point of entry near the
node indicates that the larvae have already penetrated the stalk.
Predators
 Egg parasite

• - Trichogramma spp.
Trichogramma evanescens
Parasitization cycle of Trichogramma spp.

4-5 DAYS

1 day

Newly laid egg

Unparasitized egg

2-days

4- 5 days Parasitized egg

 RICE BLACK BUG (RBB) Scotinophara coartata (Fabricius)

-Yellowing of leaves, damage plant turn yellowish and dries up in severe cases,
-bug burn, deadheart, white head
Distractive SUSCEPTIBLE Management
stage GS

Prevention Avoidance Monitoring Suppression

Nymph -Tillering Cultural -Raise water -Regular visit in -Spray

and to practices level in the field the area, scout for insecticide
adult maturity -Synchronous Mechanical the presence of if pest
planting method RBB adult and population
-Water -Conduct light nymphs is high
management trapping 3 days particularly at the
Conserve before & 3 days basal portion of .
natural after full the plant and
enemies moon damage
Appl’n of BCA symptoms
(Metarhizium
anisopliae)
.
Telenomus sp.
 Rice Stem borers

Yellow stem borer Scirpophaga incertulas (Walker)

White stem borer S. innotata (Walker)
Striped stem borer Chilo suppressalis (Walker)
Dark heeaded stem borer Chilo polychrysus
Gold fringed stem borer C. auricillius Dudgeon
Pink stem borer Sesamia inferens (Walker)
 RICE STEMBORER

Deadheart Whitehead
Distractive SUSCEPTIBLE Management
stage GS
Prevention Avoidance Monitoring Suppression

Larval Seedling Cultural practices -Handpicking of -Presence ?

stage to -Synchronous egg masses in of adult
maturity planting the seedling and
-Proper timing of Mechanical eggmass
planting --Light trapping -damage
-cut leaf tip of to catch the symptoms
seedling prior to adult
transplanting Appl’n of BCA .
-Increase plant T. japonicum
spacing
-Avoid excessive N
appl’n
-Host plant resistant
-harvest at ground
level to remove the
larvae
-Conserve natural
enemies
S A L A M A T
Banded
leaf and
sheath
blight
(Rhizoctonia solani)
Banded Leaf & Sheath Blight (Rhizoctonia solani)
• Ang sakit ay maaaring maipasa sa ibang
halaman kung apektado na ng sakit ang
lupang pinagtatamnan.

• Ang sintomas ng
banded leaf and sheath
blight ay lumalabas
sa bahagi ng
dahon na mas
malapit sa lupa.
Bacterial
Stalk
Rot
(Erwinia
chrysanthemi pv.
Zeae)
 Bacterial Stalk Rot Erwinia
chrysanthemi pv. Zeae
The bacteria enter the plants through natural openings;

Initial symptom is
. discoloration of
the leaf sheath
and stalk at a
node.
 Bacterial Stalk Rot

Disease then develops in

the stalk and rapidly
spreads up to tassel and
into the leaves.
 Comparison of BLSB and
BSR
 Philippin
e
Corn
Downy
Mildew
(Peronosclerospora philippinensis
Para malaman kung may sakit ang mais,
tingnan ang mga sumusunod na senyales:
• Mayroong dilaw o puting guhit na
nagmumula sa puno ng dahon
hanggang sa may dulo

• Kakulangan ng pagkaberde
ng dahon o tinatawag na
chlorosis.
Philippine Downy Mildew Peronosclerospora philippinensis
• Kadalasang mayroon nito sa mga
matubig na bukid.

• Ang mga punla ang kadalasang

naaapektuhan ng downy mildew.

• Ang impeksyon ay maaaring

maipasa sa pamamagitan ng
hangin at maaaring mas
kumalat sa mataas na
humidity.
Common
Corn
Rust
(Puccinia sorghi)
Corn Rust

(Puccinia polysora)
 Leaf
Blight
(Helminthosporiu
m maydis)

http://www.clemson.edu/extension/rowcrops/corn/guide/
disease_management.html
(Bipolaris maydis)
Para malaman kung apektado ng sakit ang
mais, tingnan ang mga sumusunod na
senyales:
• Ang mga sugat ay parihaba na may sukat
na dalawa hanggang tatlong sentimetro.

• Habang lumalaki ang sugat,

maaari itong sumama sa iba pang
sugat na maaaring magdulot ng
http://questromtech.wixsite.com/
mas malaking pinsala sa dahon.
juanmagsasaka/single-post/2015/12/31/Corn-
Disease-and-Disease-Management

http://www.plantwise.org/KnowledgeBank/
Uploads/PestNet/
Aspergillus
Ear Rot

(Aspergillus flavus)

https://www.pioneer.com/home/site/us/agronomy/crop-management/corn-insect-disease/aspergillus-ear-rot/
Aspergillus Ear rot (Aspergillus flavus)

• Mabilis itong
kumalat sa mga bukid
na may mataas na
temperatura at
humidity.

• Ang sakit na ito ay

maaaring kumalat
kapag ang mais ay
nakatago sa mga
lugar na may
mataas na moisture
level.
Commo
n Smut
(Ustilago
maydis)

http://jule.pflanzenbestimmung.de/882-2/
 Strategies
• Avoid high N esp. during wet season; increase K; good drainage, avoid
waterlogging areas;
• Biocontrol such as Trichoderma sp. can minimize BSR incidence
• Deep plowing and sanitation
• Crop rotation.
• Use of resistant variety
• Remove infected plant part/ plant
• Apply fungicides