Diatraea tabernella Dyar is a key pest of sugarcane in Panama and causes significant crop losses. The objective of this study was to conduct a literature review of the Diatraea genus in Panama, focused mainly on D. tabernella, complemented with the identification of the most important morphological characteristics to determine the species D. tabernella. Reference data were collected from literature about Diatraea genus focused mainly in Panama. Adults, larvae and pupae were collected, preserved and later identified in the laboratory. Of the 41 species of the genus Diatraea reported in the most recent literature, seven are present in Panama, including D. tabernella. The most important morphological characteristics in D. tabernella were the presence of lateral lobes of the tegumen in male genitalia (adult), thoracic dorsal mesothelium (larva) and cephalic horns (pupa). The combination of these characteristics allows the identification of the species.