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Species Papaipema nebris - Stalk Borer - Hodges#9496

Representative Images

Prominent? - Papaipema nebris Papaipema nebris Papaipema nebris Stalk Borer - Papaipema nebris Papaipema, Ambrosia trifida - Papaipema nebris Stalk Borer, lateral - Papaipema nebris Stalk Borer - Papaipema nebris Papaipema nebris
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Noctuoidea (Owlet Moths and kin)
Family Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
Subfamily Noctuinae (Cutworm or Dart Moths)
Tribe Apameini
Genus Papaipema (Borer Moths)
Species nebris (Stalk Borer - Hodges#9496)

Hodges Number

9496

Explanation of Names

Papaipema nebris (Guenée, 1852)

Size

Egg, 0.4-0.6mm. Larva, up to 31.8mm. Pupa, 16-22mm. Adult, 25-40mm wingspan. (NCSU Website)

Identification

Dark brown body and wings with white antennae. 5-6 small white spots along costa near apex. (1)

Range

e NA, but rare in se and in Canada - Map - (MPG)(1)
East of the Rocky Mountains, southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. (NCSU Website)

Season

mostly Jul-Oct - MPG

Food

Common pest of corn, but will eat a wide variety of large-stemmed plants, including milkweed (NCSU)(2)

Life Cycle

larva, larval hole in stem, larva in stem cavity, adult

Print References

Covell, pp. 126-127, plate 26 #7. (1)
Decker, George C. 1931. The biology of the stalk borer Papaipema nebris, Research Bulletin #142, Agricultural Research Station, Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, Ames, Iowa.

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group - MPG
Stalk Borer, North Carolina State University
The Common Stalk Borer in Corn, University of Kentucky Entomology

Works Cited

1.Peterson Field Guides: Eastern Moths
Charles V. Covell. 1984. Houghton Mifflin Company.
2.HOSTS - The Hostplants and Caterpillars Database
Contributed by Mike Boone on 31 July, 2004 - 8:53pm
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn, John Pearson, marcie oconnor
Last updated 20 November, 2016 - 4:50pm

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