Adult beetles, 3 colour varieties, length 15-17 mm.
Scientific name: Pachnoda interrupta (Olivier)
Common name: Sorghum Chafer
Ethiopian name: Dinza
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Scarabaeidae
HOSTS:
Main hosts: Sorghum, Pearl millet, Maize
Alternative hosts: Flowers of cotton, Citrus spp, and few other plants
IMPORTANCE IN ETHIOPIA:
Major pest of: Sorghum
DISTRIBUTION IN ETHIOPIA:
Especially serious in the North of Ethiopia at altitudes below 2000 m above sea level.
DAMAGE:
The adult beetles eat the grains in the milky stage.
INSECT BIOLOGY & RECOGNITION:
Egg: The spherical eggs have a diameter of 1.6-1.7 mm. They are straw coloured.
Larva: White grubs which probably feed on cattle dung.
Pupa: Pupation takes place in the soil in an earthen cocoon.
Adult: Adults are large beetles of up to 15 mm long. The colour is black with red or yellow spots. However, colouration is very variable, from nearly complete black to complete pale yellow individuals.