[3] The adult banana root borer is about 11 mm (3⁄8 in) in length and has a glossy greyish-black or dark brown appearance.

It now has a cosmopolitan distribution and is found in all the banana-growing regions of the world: southern Asia, Africa, Macaronesia, Australia, South and Central America, the West Indies and Mexico.

[4] In southeastern Asia, the banana root borer is preyed on by the beetle Plaesius javanus, which feeds on the eggs, all the larval stages, the pupae and the adults.

[5] The tunnelling activities of the root borer weaken the stem, make the plant more susceptible to lodging, cause reduced uptake of nutrients, and result in crop damage and lower yields.

Planting insect-free roots or tissue culture plantlets may be effective for a few years before insects move in from surrounding areas.