Coniesta ignefusalis, the pearl millet stem-borer, is a moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by George Hampson in 1919.
Distribution Coniesta ignefusalis is found throughout the West African Sahel, including in Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Benin, and Nigeria, where the species is known by local farmers as a major pest of grain crops.Dakouo, Y. O., K. Toure, W. K. Glwadi, O. Ajayi, M. C. Dike, A. Yehouenou, and P. Tanzubil. 1997. Monitoring pearl millet stem borer, Coniesta ignefusalis (Hampson) populations using pheromone baited traps. Part II. Results from Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Nigeria. International Sorghum Millets Newsletter 38: 137–138.
Crop pest As a major grain crop pest in the Sahel,Youm, O., Y. Maliki, D. R. Hall, D. L. Farman, and J. E. Foster. 2012. Pheromone-mediated mating disruption in the millet stem borer, Coniesta ignefusalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Crop Prot. 31: 50–57.Drame-Yaye, A., O. Youm, and J. N. Ayertey. 2003. Assessment of grain yield losses in pearl millet due to the millet stem borer, Acigona ignefusalis (Hampson). Int. J. Trop. Insect Sci. 23: 259–265. the larvae attack pearl millet, sorghum, and maize. It is the main pearl millet pest in Senegal.Ruparao T. Gahukar, Gadi V. P. Reddy. Management of Economically Important Insect Pests of Millet. Journal of Integrated Pest Management (2019) 10(1): 28; 1–10 https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmz026 It also affects pearl millet crops in northern Mali.
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