Taxonomy
The holotype of Proceras sacchariphagus Bojer, 1856 is from Mauritius. The paratype is from India (Pusa).
Description
The FW is a slightly pinkish ochreous colour with the veins picked out in darker brown giving the wings a striped or ridged appearance. The HW is shining white with indistinct small dark neural spots at the margin. The thorax and abdomen are fawn brown and the legs and the large porrect palpi ochreous to white.The females have slightly squarer wings and are slightly smaller than the males. Vinson (1949: 173) illustrated the genitalia. Khoo et al. (1991) describe its biology.
Life History
The ‘striped sugarcane borer’. Its detailed biology as a pest is not well known as it has often been confused with other sugar cane boring species and even some rice feeders. The young larvae feed on the leaves making small ‘windows’ which enlarge as the leaves expand. Then each larva bores within a single internode leaving a large exit hole and a cavity that acts as a source of rot.
References
- Bojer, W. (1856) 'Report of the Committee on the cane borer': 1-46, 5pls..
- Bleszynski, S. (1970a) A revision of the world species of Chilo Zincken (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. (Ent.): 25 (4): 101-195, 5 pls. 130 text figs.