Patterns of Damage from Eldana Saccharina (lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in the South African Sugar Industry

In the South African sugar industry, internal tissue of sugarcane stalks attacked by Eldana saccharina Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) often turns a red colour as a result of secondary infection by various organisms. In the factory, less sugar is extracted from these sections because sucrose is inverted to glucose. The length of stalk that is red thus provides an indication of the amount of sugar that will be lost as a result of damage by this pest. Loss estimates are important because they are used to calculate the cost:benefit ratios that are required to assess potential control options against E. saccharina.