European corn borer

European corn borer
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Crambidae
Genus:	Ostrinia
Species:	O. nubilalis
Binomial name
Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner, 1796)[1]
Synonyms
List Pyralis nubilalis Hübner, 1796 Pyrausta nubilalis Botis nubilalis var. paulalis Fuchs, 1900 Ostrinia nubilalis mauretanica Mutuura & Munroe, 1970 Ostrinia nubilalis persica Mutuura & Munroe, 1970 Pyralis glabralis Haworth, 1803 Pyralis silacealis Hübner, 1796 Botys appositalis Lederer, 1858 Pyrausta rubescens Krulikovsky, 1928 Pyrausta nubilalis ab. flava Dufrane, 1930 Pyrausta nubilalis ab. fuscalis Romaniszyn, 1933 Pyrausta nubilalis ab. insignis Skala, 1928 Pyrausta nubilalis ab. margarita Skala, 1928 Pyrausta nubilalis ab. minor Dufrane, 1930 Pyrausta nubilalis f. fanalis Costantini, 1923

The European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis), 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 (Zea mays). 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.^[2] Since its initial discovery in the Americas, the insect has spread into Canada and westwards across the United States to the Rocky Mountains.

The adult European corn borer is about 25 millimetres (0.98 in) long with a 26–30 millimetres (1.0–1.2 in)^[3] wingspan. The female is light yellowish brown with dark, irregular, wavy bands across the wings. The male is slightly smaller and darker.

European corn borer caterpillars damage corn by chewing tunnels through many parts of the plant, leading to a decrease in agricultural yield.