Mythimna loreyi (maize caterpillar)

Caterpillars are not easily seen on infested crops. Leaves are eaten and the droppings of the caterpillars are conspicuous. During the day they are either found hidden in the heart of the plant or in the soil or trash at the base. Caterpillars bore into 'heart' of wheat and barley and also attack the developing flower spikes.

Very little has been published about the control of M. loreyi alone. It usually occurs in conjunction with other pests e.g. Mythimna separata, and control measures are directed against the whole pest complex.Integrated Pest ControlKhan (1992) investigated the control of M. loreyi in conjunction with other pests of sugarbeet in Pakistan. Populations were significantly lower in integrated control plots than in an untreated plot and higher yields were recorded.Chemical ControlChemical control is often used, especially if the density of the pest is high. However since this usually reduces the population of natural enemies it should only be used when the economic threshold has been exceeded.A new strain of Bacillus thuringiensis was identified as a potential control agent by Porpar and Caballero (2000).Pheromonal ControlThe sex pheromone of Mythimna loreyi has been identified as a mixture of (Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate, (Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate and looplure ((Z)-7-dodecenyl acetate) (Takahashi, 1983). This can be used to trap adults for monitoring or control purposes.