A moth (Ostrinia nubilalis) native to Europe whose caterpillars tunnel into the stalks, ears and leaves of maize, weakening stalks until they break and directly damaging ears, and which also attacks peppers, snap beans and other crops. Introduced to North America around 1917, it became one of the costliest insect pests of United States maize production through the twentieth century, and the widespread adoption of maize genetically engineered to express Bt toxins from the 1990s sharply reduced, though did not eliminate, the losses it causes.
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Maize, Crops The European corn borer is one of the most economically significant insect pests of maize in North America and Europe.
Sources
1. European Corn Borer (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationOpening definition paragraph
The European corn borer, also known as the European corn worm or European high-flyer, is a moth of the family Crambidae. It is a pest of grain, particularly maize. The insect is native to Europe, originally infesting varieties of millet, including broom corn. The European corn borer was first reported in North America in 1917 in Massachusetts, but was probably introduced from Europe several years earlier.
lead description
A moth (Ostrinia nubilalis) native to Europe whose caterpillars tunnel into the stalks, ears and leaves of maize, weakening stalks until they break and directly damaging ears, and which also attacks peppers, snap beans and other crops.
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