Entomologists and farmers have wondered why insects like the southwestern corn borer (SWCB), Diatraea grandiosella Dyar, go to the trouble of deliberately cutting off the corn plant in which they are developing? We have collected data that suggests that winter survival is highest the deeper the larva is below the soil surface in the crown of the corn plant. Cannibalism is well known in these insects and appears to be associated with competition for this single best overwintering site. Our data suggests that in the duel that leads to cannibalism, the larva that attacks from above has an advantage over the larva that is already in the overwintering site. Therefore, the larva that gets into the overwintering site first cuts off the plant to prevent other larvae from finding this overwintering site.
Species 1: Lepidoptera Crambidae Diatraea grandiosella (southwestern corn borer)
Keywords: overwintering behavior, winter mortality
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