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Lesser Cornstalk Borer

Elasmopalpus lignosellus (iNaturalist: E. lignosella)[3]

The lesser cornstalk borer is a small moth whose slender, bluish-green caterpillars bore into plant stems at or just below the soil line from silk tubes covered in sand, making plants wilt; damage is worst in hot, dry, sandy soil.[1][2]

Group
Insect
Order
Lepidoptera
Family
Pyralidae
US records
26 states
Sources
3 cited
Updated
2026-10-16
Lesser cornstalk borer moth, tan with a dark wing border
Lesser cornstalk borer moth, tan with a dark wing border. (c) Sam Kieschnick, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0
On this page
  1. Identification
  2. Look-alikes
  3. Where it lives
  4. Biology
  5. Damage and signs
  6. Health risk
  7. Control
  8. Related profiles
  9. Common questions
  10. Sources

How to identify it

  • Moths are about 1/2 inch long at rest (wingspan about 3/4 inch); males are lighter tan with a dark border, females dark brown to nearly black.[1][2]
  • Grown caterpillars are bluish green with brownish rings or bands and yellowish-white stripes; UF gives about 5/8 inch long and NC State up to 7/8 inch.[1][2]
  • Caterpillars wriggle violently when disturbed, earning the name jumping borer.[1]
  • A small silk tube coated with sand at the base of the stem is the telltale sign.[1][2]

Look-alikes

Look-alikeHow to tell them apart
CutwormsAlso cut plants at the soil line, but don't build sand-covered silk tubes into the stem.[1]

Where it lives

Found across much of the southern United States, sporadically from Maine to southern California; damage is mostly in sandy soils of the coastal plain from South Carolina to Texas.[1][2]

US map: public records from 26 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

Moths fly from June to November, mostly at night in hot, humid, still weather; there are three to four overlapping generations a year in the Southeast.[1][2]

Females lay eggs on leaves, stems or soil near a host; caterpillars feed on leaves or roots, then build silk-lined burrows and bore into stems near the ground.[1][2]

A life cycle takes about 30 to 60 days, and it overwinters as a larva or pupa.[1][2]

Damage and signs

  • Hosts include corn, sorghum, beans, peas, peanuts, soybeans, sweet potato and grasses, including ornamental grasses such as Miscanthus in unirrigated sandy sites.[1][2]
  • Infested plants wilt, stunt or die, with 'dead heart' growing points; outbreaks follow unusually hot, dry weather.[1][2]

Health risk

None to people or pets.[1][2]

Control

Prevention

Water frequently: moist soil discourages egg laying and favors fungi that kill the caterpillars; mulching may also help.[1][2]

Check by pulling small plants; UF suggests treatment if live larvae or pupae are on about 10 percent of plants.[1]

Pesticides

Landscape-labeled systemic insecticides such as imidacloprid applied as granules and watered in reach borers better than sprays.[2]

Common questions

Why are my plants wilting in sandy soil during a drought?
The lesser cornstalk borer is a common cause; look for sand-covered silk tubes at the stem base.[1][2]
How do I prevent it?
Keep the soil irrigated and mulched.[1][2]
Does it attack ornamental grasses?
Yes, including Miscanthus in dry, sandy sites.[2]

Sources

  1. University of Florida IFAS Extension (EDIS, Featured Creatures), “Lesser Cornstalk Borer, Elasmopalpus lignosellus (Zeller) (EENY-155).” ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN312 (accessed 2026-10-16)
  2. NC State Extension, “Lesser Cornstalk Borer in Ornamental Plants (PDIC Factsheet).” content.ces.ncsu.edu/lesser-cornstalk-borer-in-ornamental-plants (accessed 2026-10-16)
  3. iNaturalist, “Elasmopalpus lignosella taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1252809 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-16. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.