Unlike the southwestern corn borer which occurs primarily in eastern Arkansas, the European corn borer occurs throughout the state. Population levels in southwestern Arkansas, however, have been very low. Like the southwestern corn borer, the European corn borer passes through the winter in Arkansas as mature larvae within corn stubble left in fields after harvest. Adult European corn borer adults are small, about 18 mm in length, and fragile moths. Wings are yellow and brown and exhibit a zigzag pattern.
Males are slightly smaller and darker than females.
Egg In April and May European corn borer adults begin to emerge from overwintering sites and mate. Egg laying begins about two days after emergence and continues for about one week. Most eggs, however, are deposited during the first two nights of oviposition. Eggs are very small, i.e., less than 1 mm in diameter, and like the southwestern corn borer are overlaid in a mass like fish scales. Unlike the southwestern corn borer, egg masses generally consist of about 25 eggs.