Larviposition by the Tachinid fly,Sturmiopsis inferensTns. on sugarcane shoot borer larvae was studied. One adult female laid on an average 285 maggots (range 126–521). More than 90% of the maggots extruded were free of the enveloping chorion. Less than 4% were found to be unfertilized and undeveloped. The mean number of maggots laid per host was 1.21 and more than 70% were laid at the bore hole, the remaining being larviposited near the bore hole. Larviposition began on the sixth day after emergence of the female and mating, reached its peak during seventh to eleventh days and declined thereafter. Over 90% of the total number of maggots were deposited by the thirteenth day. Some maggots (9.52%) were not extruded but remained in the fly's uterus. The number of maggots laid at a bore hole varied from one to nine, but in more than 50% of the shoots only a single maggot was deposited. The flies preferred third, fourth and fifth instar larvae and shoots having only wet frass for larviposition, although larviposition did occur in shoots having second instar larvae and freshly formed pupae.