European corn borer: biology and management

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Abstract
European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), remains an important pest of corn and several other vegetable and field crops across North America despite substantial population declines following widespread adoption of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) plant-incorporated protectant (PIP) corn. Recent reports of field resistance to multiple Bt proteins in Canada and the United States highlight the need to reassess current management practices and reestablish active monitoring for this historically destructive species. This manuscript provides an updated synthesis of European corn borer biology, ecology, host range, injury patterns, and movement behavior, emphasizing traits that influence risk and management outcomes in modern production systems. We summarize current detection approaches, including pheromone trapping, degree-day models, and targeted scouting strategies. Management recommendations integrate cultural practices, abiotic mortality factors, biological control, chemical control, and PIP stewardship, with particular attention to resistance monitoring and refuge compliance. Collectively, these updates underscore the continued importance of European corn borer as a dynamic pest whose management requires coordinated surveillance, adherence to integrated pest management principles, and sustained trait stewardship to preserve the long-term efficacy of Bt technologies across North America.
Funding Information
  • National Institute of Food and Agriculture (7004914)
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture

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