History of the European
Corn Borer in South Dakota

    The European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) may have entered the United
States via broom corn imported from Italy or Hungary in the early 1900's.
In 1917, corn borer larvae were first discovered on sweet corn near Boston,
Massachusetts.

    Corn borers may have entered South Dakota in 1946, after reaching Illinois,
Iowa, and Nebraska in 1939, 1942, and 1944, respectively.

    Corn borers were observed to only have one generation per year during their
initial colonization of U.S. corn fields.  However, it was soon learned that  the
insect can produce two or more generations in the Midwest.

    Corn borers are currently found in all SD counties.  Corn and proso millet
are the main hosts although corn borers can infest numerous other plants like
soybean, sorghum, potato, tomato, green beans, and weeds.

    Moth flight patterns vary across the state with the univoltine or one-peak
moth flight observed in northern and northeastern SD counties, and the bivoltine
or two-peak flight pattern observed in the remaining counties.  Variations of these
moth flights have been observed especially in areas where the univoltine and
bivoltine moth flights appear to converge or transition.  For example, the corn
borer moth flight in Dell Rapids, SD appear to have both bivoltine and univoltine
components.

   |  SD European Corn Borer Home Page  |

                                                            Prepared and posted  by Mike Catangui on May 30, 2000.