Host plant preference by the maize stalk borer, Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract

Some graminaceous fodder crops were compared to maize and grain sorghum for ovipositional preference by Busseola fusca (Fuller) under laboratory conditions. The infestation potential of different crops was increased by the incidence of tillering, infestation being enhanced by the availability of leaf sheaths suitable for egg-laying. Based on the ability to sustain larval development, pearl millet Pennisetum glaucum (Babala) was superior, and Napier grass P. purpureum inferior to maize and grain sorghum. The possible consequence of a shift from maize production to fodder crops on the economic importance of B. fusca is discussed.