Status in Nebraska:
The European corn borer is found in Nebraska.
Distribution:
First noticed near Boston, Mass., in 1917, the European corn borer
also was found later, in 1921, in areas bordering Lake Erie. It spread
gradually from southern Michigan and northern Ohio. By the end of 1938,
it had spread only as far west as the Wisconsin shore of Lake Michigan.
By the late 1930s, a two-generation per year population appeared in
the eastern and north central states. This corn borer spread rapidly and
soon became dominant in the central Corn Belt. It reached Illinois in 1939,
Iowa in 1942, and Nebraska in 1944.
Origin and Time of Introduction:
It is believed that it was introduced into the United States in the early
1900s by corn imported from Italy and Hungary for use as broom material.
Common Characteristics:
The adult stage is a gray to brown color with a triangular shape continuing
though to the end of the head. It has 4 life stages (egg, larva, pupa,
and adult) the second of which is the one that does the damage; it also
has up to two generations per year.
Environmental Impact:
The main environmental impact of these insects is in the form of yield
loss. It is estimated that one insect per one plant can cause up to 10%
yield loss per plant, with one to six or more infesting any one given plant.
Management:
Control can be any number of types including, shredding of old plant
material, plowing grazing or burning stalk material (reducing the numbers
of over wintering ecb). Hybrid selection, early harvest, fungus (Beauveria
bassiana), a protozoan organism Nosema pyraustae, transgenic
types, several insects and some birds.
The European corn borer significantly affects production of corn, as
well as other crops, including sorghum, cotton, and many vegetables. Overall,
yield losses and control expenditures associated with the European corn
borer cost farmers in the United States more than 1 billion dollars annually.
