Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important cereal crop in India grown in the wet (May to October) and dry (November to March) growing seasons over 8.93 million ha.[1] Maize is predominantly cultivated during the wet season in northern India, whereas it is cultivated continuously in both seasons in southern and some parts of central India. The wet season accounts for >70% of grain production. Three lepidopterans are among the major insect pests of maize. The spotted stem borer, Chilo partellus (Swinhoe), the pink stem borer, Sesamia inferens (Walker), and the earworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), pose limitations to the higher productivity of maize in India.[2] The avoidable losses due to C. partellus were estimated to be between 26.7 and 80.4% in different maize tracts of India,[3] and more recently C. partellus infestation in maize was estimated to range between 6 and 42% in different months of the wet season.[4] C. partellus is also a major pest in maize-growing areas of Africa, and the yield loss due to this stem borer in Kenya was estimated to be 12.9% of the annual maize harvest, with an economic value of $US 76 million.[5]