Ecology of the African maize stalk borer, Busseola fusca (lepidoptera: Noctuidae) with special reference to insect-plant interactions

Abstract

Busseola fusca (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an important pest of maize and sorghum in sub-Saharan Africa. One century after its first description by Fuller in 1901, inaccurate information based on earlier reports are still propagated on its distribution (e.g., absent from the lower altitudes in East Africa) and host plant range (e.g., feeding on a large range of wild grass species). This review provides updated information on the biology, distribution and genetics of B. fusca with emphasis on insect-plant interactions. Related to this, new avenues of stem borer management are proposed. © 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.