MPG (species pages only) MPG (entire website) Entire Web

Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Pyralidae 80a0409 – 5896   Elasmopalpus lignosella (Zeller, 1848)              Lesser Cornstalk Borer

Photographs are the copyrighted property of each photographer listed. Contact individual photographers for permission to use for any purpose.

© Gretchen Grammer Large Map & Chart Report Errors About Maps

Larva and Host Plants: Host familiy: Alliaceae Araucariaceae Asparagaceae[Liliaceae] Asteraceae Betulaceae Brassicaceae Bromeliaceae Chenopodiaceae Convolvulaceae Cornaceae Brassicaceae Cucurbitaceae Cupressaceae Cyperaceae Fabaceae Poac..  Host genera: Aegilops Allium Alopecurus Ananas Apios Arachis Araucaria Asparagus Avena Brassica Cajanus Capsicum Ceratonia Chloris Coffea Cornus Corylus Cucumis Cynodon Cyperus Digitaria Echinochloa Eleusine Fagop...  Notes: bores into stems, also feeds on leaves (Heinrich 1956).  (Shropshire & Douglas 2025) Genitalia: See Heinrich (1956). Similar Species: Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.) Synonymy: lignosella (Zeller, 1848) (Pempelia) - MONA 1983: 5896 angustellus Blanchard, 1852 (Elasmopalpus) anthracellus Ragonot, 1888 (Elasmopalpus) carbonella (Hulst, 1888) (Dasypyga) incautella (Zeller, 1872) (Pempelia) major (Zeller, 1874) (Pempelia) puer Dyar, 1919 (Elasmopalpus) tartarella (Zeller, 1872) (Pempelia)

References (Caution: DNA barcoding at BOLD provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; some BOLD specimens shown may not be sequenced.)

Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: Identifications often erroneous; DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; many specimens not sequenced. Factsheet at Florida Featured Creatures. Heinrich, C., 1956. American moths of the subfamily Phycitinae. Bulletin United States National Museum, 207: 173. Neunzig, H. H., 2003. Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 15.5, p. 232; pl. 9.9-10. order or free PDF Powell, J. A. & P. A. Opler, 2009. Moths of Western North America, Pl. 26.2m; p. 193. Book Review and ordering Shropshire, K.J. & D.W. Tallamy, 2025. Lepidoptera of North America, north of Mexico: an annotated list containing geographic ranges and host-plant records. ZooKeys, 1261: 101-113; Suppl. 1. (PDF or read online) Species Page at Block Island Moths Species Page at BugGuide.Net Species Page at Mass Moths Species Page at iNaturalist Zeller, P.C., 1848. Exotische Phyciden. Isis von Oken, 1848: 883.

© C. Van Den Broeke - m. © Machele White © Sean McCann [T] © Mark Dreiling - DNA © Ken Childs © Mark Dreiling - DNA © Tim Reichard

CalPhotos – © Jerry Powell © Jim Vargo 18mm - LG – © Jim Vargo

Moth Photographers Group  at the  Mississippi Entomological Museum  at the  Mississippi State University

Send suggestions, or submit photographs to Webmaster — Moth Photographers Group

Database design and scripting support provided by Mike Boone