Technical Series Number 36, April 2006

Stem borers belonging to the genus Diatraea (Lepidoptera: Pyraledae) have generally been the most important pests in sugarcane cultivation in America. Their management has been based on biological control, mainly on the release of flies Paratheresia claripalpis y Metagonistylum minense (Diptera: Tachinidae), which in their larval stage parasitize the borer larvae and feed on them, contributing to reducing the pest populations and, therefore, its damage.
In the sugar region of the Cauca River Valley in Colombia, management programs for Diatraea spp. emerged in the early 1970s as a result of the reaction of biological control laboratories in several sugar mills. Years later, the industry produced the parasitic flies necessary to maintain the percentage of damage caused by the borer at an acceptable level, from pest larvae raised on an artificial diet in the laboratory.
Due to the lack of regularity in the production of larvae and the increase in the costs of collecting them in the field, in 1983 Cenicaña began research with the aim of developing a technology for the mass production of Diatraea saccharalis continuously and with quality standards.
The most significant result of the investigations was the detection of a protozoan, possibly belonging to the genus Nosema (Cenicaña, 1989), identified as the causal agent of the decreases in larval production (Lastra and Gómez, 2000). Until then, the periods of low larval recovery in the laboratory were attributed to the degeneration of the broodstock, explained by the increase of undesirable genes in the colony as a result of inbreeding. From the detection of Nosema sp. A preventive method was established to avoid the introduction and proliferation of the microorganism in the laboratory, and other breeding conditions were gradually specified.
This document describes the process of mass production of larvae of Diatraea saccharalis, The steps for establishing the breeding stock and handling the breeding, aseptic conditions throughout the process, preparation and conservation of the artificial diet, infrastructure specifications and estimated production costs to ensure a continuous supply of larvae are included.
The technology was developed by Cenicaña between 1985 and 1990. The Centre's Entomology Laboratory used it to produce and supply larvae to the sugar mills, a service that was discontinued in 2002.