In southern Asia, Chilo auricilius Dudgeon, Chilo infuscatellus Snellen, Chilo partellus (Swinhoe), Chilo polychrysus (Meyrick), Chilo suppressalis (Walker), Chilo suppressalis simplex (Butler), Chilo sacchariphagus indicus (Kapur), Chilo supermain and Chilo tumidicostalis Hampson are recorded as pests of cereal crops. Chilo partellus causes severe losses in maize, sorghum and rice; Chilo suppressalis, Chilo polychrysus and Chilo supermain are major pests of rice; Chilo auricilius causes damage on both rice and sugar-cane; and Chilo infuscatellus and Chilo sacchariphagus indicus are serious pests of sugar-cane. Chilo suppressalis simplex and Chilo tumidicostalis are minor pests of maize and sugar-cane, respectively. Some of these pyralid borers are minor pests of other cereal crops. The life and seasonal histories of these stem borers and various control measures against them practised in various countries of southern Asia are discussed. The natural enemies of various Chilo species in this region are also listed.

The development and pest status of Aspavia armigera on two cowpea varieties viz: Ife Brown and TVU1890 and alsoon two upland rice varieties viz: ITA 128 and ITA 257 were studied under ambient conditions in the laboratory and at the roof-top garden, Department of Agricultural Biology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

The oviposition periods on rice were 15.1 and 6.0 days respectively on ITA 257 and ITA 128; and on cowpea 10.6 and 8.5 days respectively on Ife Brown and TVU 1890. Fecundity was low. Mated females laid the highest number of eggs (24.6) on the cowpea Ife Brown and this was significantly higher than in the other cultivars. Mated and unmated males and females lived longer on Ife Brown and ITA 257 than on ITA 128 and TVU 1890.

The developmental period (nymph to adult), was shorter on ITA 257 (23.3 days) and Ife Brown (22.9 days) than on ITA 128 (23.3 days) and TVU 1890 (25.3 days). There were five nymphal instars and the mean growth ratio of head capsule measurements was 1.32.

Infestation at the level of two A. armigera per peduncle caused total seed losses in the two cowpea varieties whereas four and eight bugs per panicle caused 39.1 and 31.7 % grain yield losses in ITA 257 and ITA 128 rice varieties respectively.