The spotted stem borer larvae are creamy white to yellowish-brown with dark conspicuous spots and four purple stripes lengthwise across the back. The pupae are shiny, light yellow-brown to dark red-brown and 15 mm long. The adult moths are 7-17 mm long with a wingspan of 20-25 mm.
These are the worms found during on heads damage sorghum by feeding directly on flowering parts and the developing grain, but it is the last two larval instars (growth stages) that cause greatest damage. Whorlworms: These refer to the worms found in whorls feeding on the leaf material.
A plant disease caused by the fungus Claviceps purpurea, which infects the developing grains of cereals and grasses. Ergot symptoms become evident during kernel formation, when ergot bodies are formed in place of kernels.
