Pests of Rice

1. Yellow Stem borer

Distribution: All paddy growing areas: Assam, Bengal, Orissa, UP,
Punjab, A.P, T.N
Host Plant: Not have any alternate host

Habit Scirpophaga incertulas

Fam:Pyralidae
Oviposition On leaf tip and upper surface of
leaf
Incubation 5-8 days
Larval feeding Non-gregarious
Boring habit Not immediately after hatching
Pupation Under soil part of stem
Cocoon Present
Egg covering Eggs covered with anal tuft of hairs

Appearance:
Stem borers are major pests of rice during both kharif and
summer seasons. Out of five species of stem borers attack rice
crop from which the yellow stem borer (YSB), Scirpophaga
incertulas is dominant. The female moths are larger than the male
having bright yellowish fore wings with a distinct black spots on
each and anal tuft of yellowish hairs. The female lays from 15 to
80 eggs in a mass near the tip on the upper surface of tender leaf
blade early at night and covers them with buff coloured hairs from
its anal tuft. The females are nocturnal, positively phototropic, and
strong fliers. Scirpophaga incertulas mated only once. A female
lays about 2 or 3 egg masses. Oviposition by most stem borer
species occurs in the evening. Scirpophaga incertulas females
oviposit between 19.00 and 22.00 h in summer and 18.00 and
20.00 h in spring and autumn. The moths deposit only one egg
mass per night and oviposition occurs up to five nights after
emergence.
 The hatching larvae are negatively geotropic and crawl
upward toward the tip of the plants where they stay for only short
periods.Caterpillar is yellowish white with orange coloured head.
Some suspend themselves by a silken thread and swing with the
wind to the adjacent plants, some drop into water and keep a float
with the help of air around their body to reach to plant while most
crawl down towards the base of the plant, feeds on the leaves for
a while and bore into the stem. The boring site varies with the age
of the plants. In the young plants they bore in the lower nodes 5-
10 cm above water, in older ones through an upper node and in
the ear forming ones, at the base of the peduncle which results in
grainless heads. Before pupation it covers the exit hole with a thin
webbing and then forms a white silken cocoon in which it pupates.
The pupa is dark brown in colour. Scirpophaga incertulas moths
usually emerge between 1900 and 2100 h. Mating in most species
generally occurs between 1900 and 2100 h. The male moths were
strongly attracted to the virgin females. Attraction was maximum
on the evenings of female emergence, but declined on subsequent
days. The entire life cycle is completed in 50-70 days.
Cold weather with high humidity and low temperature
prevalent during Oct-Dec. has been found conducive for the
multiplication of the insects. Larvae are reported to undergo
hibernation from Nov.- Jan. and prior to dipause the larvae in
stubbles move down into the plant base and remain 2-4 cm below
ground level. Deep water rice are more affected by yellow stem
borer.

Damage Symptoms:
Stem borer damage may be initiated even in nursery stage.
The feeding by stem borer larvae leads to drying of central shoot
described as dead heart at vegetative stage (central leaf whorl
does not unfold, turns brownish and dries out). If the attack occurs
during panicle formation or heading stage then “white ear heads”
(drying of the panicle) are formed and the whole panicle becomes
chaffy. The affected tillers are unproductive and result in yield
losses. Both dead heart and white ear head can be easily pulled
out, which distinguishes the symptom from other similar damages.
Early damage in vegetative stage is compensated slightly by
production of new tillers but at white head stage total losses
occurs due to chaffy panicle.
In irrigated ecosystem, 1% dead heart resulted in 0.3% or 12
kg/ha loss whereas, 1% white earhead caused 4.2% or 183 kg/ha
loss in grain yields; the loss due to 1% infestation in both phases
of stem borer damage was 4.6% or 201 kg/ha.

Non chemical Management:

 Summer ploughing to expose resting stages of insects to heat of
the sun and predators.
 Avoidance of mono-cropping.
 Growing stem borer resistant/tolerant varieties viz., Ratna, Jaya,
TKM 6, IR 20 and IR 26,Khandagiri, Ghanteswari, Udayagiri,
Lalitagiri, Sidhant, Konark, Kharvela, Gajapati, Surendra,
Pratikshya, Manika. Generally, tall varieties with long, wide
leaves and large stems are more susceptible. Varieties
containing more layers of lignified tissue, a greater area under
sclerenchymatous tissue, and a large number of silica cells are
more resistant.
 Since the eggs of Scirpophaga incertulas are laid near the tip of
the leaf blade, the widespread practice of clipping the seedlings
before transplanting greatly reduces the carryover of eggs from
the seedbed to the transplanted fields.
 Early and synchronous planting.
 Avoid close planting and continuous water stagnation at early
stages
 Use balanced fertilizer application. Excess use of N fertilizer
should be avoid.
 Trap cropping with Basmati rice in transplanted rice (9:1).
 Strict surveillance of rice fields for pests and defenders.
 The strong phototaxis of stem borer is used to attract them to
light traps for monitoring and control. The moths are most
attracted to UV and green fluorescent lights.
 Setting up of bird perches @ 20-25/ha.
 Setting up of pheromone traps for YSB @ 20-25/ha.
 The three most important genera are the egg parasitoids
Telenomus, Tetrastichus, and Trichogramma. Tetrastichus wasps
have elongated ovipositors and can lay their eggs in stem borer
eggs, even if the latter are covered with a mat of hair.
 Telenomus wasps, however, parasitize stem borer eggs while
the moth is in the act of ovipositionbefore the eggs are covered
with hair. The wasp locates the female moth, possibly by the sex
pheromone, attaches itself to the tuft of anal hair near the
ovipositor, and waits for the moth to lay eggs. Release of
Trichogramma japonicum against YSB @ 1 lakh / ha starting
from 15 days after planting (DAP) at 7-10 days intervals 5-6
times.
 Egg masses are also the food of several predators. The long
horned grasshopper Conocephalus longipennis preys
voraciously on eggs of the yellow stem borer. Other predators of
stem borer are crickets, carabid beetle, coccinellid beetles etc.
The adult moths are attacked by several spiders while resting on
foliage or are caught in webs while flying. Dragonflies and birds
are also effective daytime predators; bats are active at dusk.
 Spraying of Beauveria bassiana product (Boverin, Biopower,
Ankush, Daman, Biorin) @ 1kg/ha against YSB.
 Spraying of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) based biopesticides
available in the market (Dipel, Delfin, Biodart, Thuricide, Bioasp,
Biolep, HIL Btk) @1kg or 1lit/ha.
 Putting “karada”(Cleistanthus collinus) leaves in the field @ 200
kg/ha to get rid of YSB.
 Harvest the crop upto the ground level and disturb the stubbles
with plough immediately after the harvest

Remarks:
 Silicon increases resistance to stem borers. The silica particles in
the plant interfere with larval feeding, often causing excessive
mandible wear.
 Zinc reduces stem borer damage

Chemical Management:
 Seed treatment with fipronil (Regent) @ 25g/kg seed.
 If the pest crosses economic threshold level (ETL) i.e.5% Dead
heart (DH) or 1 egg mass per m2 then apply cartap hydrochloride
4G @ 20kg/ha or fipronil 0.3G –25kg/ha or phorate 10G @
10kg/ha or carbofuran @ 33 kg/ha or carbosulfan 6G @ 16Kg/ha
in the main field.
 Alternately spray with cartap hydrochloride 50SP -500g/ha/
fipronil(Regent) 5 SP –1 lit/ha/ monocrotophos/ quinalphos/
chlorpyriphos /phosphamidon / triazophos / profenophos – 1
lit/ha/ thiacloprid 240SP (Calypso) –500ml/ha/
flubendiamide(39.35 SC) – 175ml/ha / indoxacarb14.5 SC –
200ml/ha.

2.Rice Gall midge:

Orseolia oryzae
(Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)
Distribution: The paddy gall fly is found in most of the paddy
growing areas, particularly in the southern and eastern states of
India
Host Plant: paddy is the main host but grasses like Cynodon
dactylon and wild grass form alternative host and therefore should
be removed
Appearance: Lowland crops are more infested than upland crops,
since the fly requires high humidity for multiplication, It is a
serious pest of rice in tillering stage. The adult is a small fly like a
mosquito with yellow brown body and long dark brown hairy legs.
The adult female is bright red with a reddish brown abdomen.
Copulation usually takes place soon after emergence and lasts for
about 5 min. Oviposition starts a few hours later. The females
mate only once and no parthenogenesis has been recorded;
unmated females lay sterile eggs. A single female is capable of
laying 100-200 eggs, either singly or in groups of 3-4 near the
base of the plants, on the ligules or in their vicinity on the leaf
blade, or on the leaf sheath. Eggs laid on the leaf blade are on the
undersurface. The maggots are headless, legless and remain
inside the basal part of the stem. The full grown larva of Orseolia
oryzae is about 3 mm long, pale red, with a pointed anterior end.
It feeds at the base of the gall where it pupates. Generally only
one maggot per tiller is found. Pupa is light pink and become red
before emerging of the adult midge. The pupa has abdominal
spines. The pupae wriggles its way up with the help of abdominal
spines and cut a hole at the tip of the gall with the spine and
projects half way the skin splits and the adult emerge. They are
nocturnal and phototropic.
Ecological condition: It is exclusively a pest of Kharif season. In
summer or Rabi crop its intensity is very low. Humid cloudy
weather with continuous rains favours the pest buildup. The
favorable condition for fly development is 26-30 °C and 82-88%
RH. Early onset of monsoon followed by dry spell, leading to
delayed transplanting often results in severe damage in endemic
areas. The insects are less abundant in crop years preceded by a
warm and dry spring.
However high rainfall and storm causes mortality of gall midge.
Deep water rice (>10 cm) gall midge incidence is not seen. It
suggests that the larvae are not survived in prolonged standing
water.
The fly becomes active at the onset of the monsoon when it
completes one to two generations on grasses before rice is
planted, and then transfers to the rice fields. The most serious gall
midge infestation occurs when early rains make the flies active.
Subsequent dry periods delay rice planting; in this case, the
population multiplies on grasses and the flies migrate in large
numbers to the late-planted rice crop.
Damage symptoms: Feeding of the maggot at the growing
primordia inside the growing stem and injecting a toxin
“cecidogen” thereof results in a hollow tubular gall known as
“silver shoot” which looks like onion leaf. Affected tillers do not
bear panicles. Early infestation encourages profuse tillering and
these tillers are also infested and stunted growth of the plants. In
the long duration variety, infestation during late vegetative phase
results in branching of tillers which bears ears and thus
compensate to some extent, for the loss in yield. Damage varies
between 8- 50 per cent.
Non chemical Management:
 Plowing fields after harvest and keeping fallow land free of off-
season alternate host plant is recommended.
 Avoidance of mono-cropping.
 Encourage early planting of the crop.
 Use quick growing varieties.
 Removal of grassy weeds or wild rice alternate hosts from rice
fields and surrounding areas helps reduce the pest population.
 Growing tolerant/resistant varieties like Heera, Ghanteswari,
Lalitagiri, Jogesh, Sidhant, Sebati, Bhoi, Gouri, Samalei, Konark,
 Kharavela, Lalat, Gajapati, Surendra, Jajati, Meher, Vijeta,
Pratikshya, Manika, Savitree, Uphar etc. The resistance to gall
midge is reported to be primarily due to antibiosis.
 Moderate dose of N-fertilizer should be applied
 Filled up the field with water.
 Infra red light trap attracts gall midge effectively
 Strict surveillance of rice fields for pests and defenders.
Chemical Management:
 It is difficult to control the gall midge with insecticide because
the larvae are protected inside the plant or gall. At any rate,
granular insecticide applications are usually more effective
than sprays, but only if there is standing water in the field.
 Sprouted seed soaked with imidacloprid 200SL @
0.05%(2.5ml/lit) for 3 hours – then shade dried and
broadcasted on raised nursery bed give protection against gall
midge
 Seedling root dip in 0.02% chlorpyriphos before transplanting
for 12-14 hrs give protection for 30 days.
 When the pest crosses ETL i.e. 1 silver shoot (SS)/m 2 in
endemic and 5% SS non-endemic areas then go for chemicals
treatment. Granules (same as stem borer) are usually more
effective then spray but field have standing water. Besides,
imidacloprid spray @ 125ml/ha is also effective.
Biological control:

 Release larval parasitoid: Platygaster oryzae through

parasitized galls @ 1 per 10 m2 in the main field at 10 DAT.
 The carabid beetle, Ophionia indica is an effective predator.
 Conserve the spider predators like Tetragnatha and Argiope
catenulata and Neoscona theisi in rice ecosystem to feed on
the adult midge. Several solitary larval parasitoids, e.g.,
Obtusiclava oryzae and pupal parasitoids, e.g., Neanastatus
oryzae and Neanastatus cinctiventris, are also known.
 A predatory phytoseiid mite attacks the gall midge eggs.

3.Brown planthopper:
Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera:Delphacidae)
Distribution: Orissa, A.P, T.N, Haryana, Punjab, Karnatak, W.B,
Maharastra, M.P, U.P
Alternate host : Wild sp. of Oryza only
The first severe incidence of the pest occurred on rice in
Kerala (1973). In recent years it has become a serious pest of
paddy during both kharif and summer seasons. B.P.H is mainly a
pest of irrigated wet land rice. But it can also become abundant in
rainfed wetland environment. High temperature and high humidity
and luxuriant growth of the plants are congenial for its attack.
Life cycle: The adult is either light or dark brown in colour and
measure about 3mm body length, short wing (brachypterous) and
long winged (macropterous) adult occur in both sexes. The
macropterous forms have normal front and hind wings.
Brachypterous forms have very much smaller wings, particularly
the hind wings, which are rudimentary. The macropterous forms
are adapted to migration and develop with crowding and the
shortage of host plants. The brachypterous forms are generally
larger and have longer legs and ovipositors. Their preoviposition
period is usually shorter than that of macropterous forms.
Macropterous females lay about 100 eggs and brachypterous
female lays 300 eggs during its life cycle. The eggs are whitish or
transparent and are laid inside the leaf sheath and on the midrib
of the leaf blade, in batches with their anterior ends attached to
one another. They hatch in 8-9 days. Eggs are covered by a dome
shaped egg plug secreted by female. The nymphal period is 10-18
days. The total life cycle occupies 19-23 days.
Ecological condition: Studies have shown that rainfall
profoundly influences BPH build up by creating favourable high
humidity at the crop base. During kharif, it is predicted that, BPH
populations in September will be low, if cumulative rainfall in
August is <100mm, BPH moderate if about 200mm and outbreak
of BPH is expected >300-400mm
Damage & Symptoms: Both nymphs and adults suck phloem
sap from the plant tissues. During feeding the insect secrete a
solid feeding sheath into the plant tissue to form a feeding tube.
This feeding sheath block the flow of plant sap. Removal of excess
sap and blockage of vascular bundles the plant reduce its vitality,
growth and vigour. The plant looks sickly and yellowing
symptoms. Excess draining of the plant sap results in drying of the
plants in clusters known as “hopper burn”. The hopper burn
symptom is observed in concentric ring manner in the field.
Shooty mould develops due to excretion of honey dews and
reduce the photosynthesis. In addition to damage caused by direct
feeding they also cause indirect injury by transmitting virus i.e,
grassy stunt virus.

Non chemical Management:

 Early and synchronous planting.
 Avoid close planting (20 x 15 cm should followed)
 Use of balanced fertilizer dose and avoid using excessive ‘N’
fertilizer or manure.
 Alternate wetting and drying of the rice field.
 Use resistant/tolerant rice cultivars e.g. Lalat, Sebati, Konark,
Surendra, Tapaswini, Meher, Vijeta, Durga, Rambha, Kanchan,
IR 36, IR 72 etc.
 Keeping alley ways in BPH endemic areas i.e, provide 30 cm
rogue spacing at every 3 m to reduce the pest incidence
 Strict surveillance of rice fields for pests and defenders (mirid
bugs and spiders).
 Foliar spraying of NSKE @5% or neem oil 0.5% or neem based
commercial pesticides 300ppm @ 2.5lit/ha (Margocide OK
80%EC, Achook, Nimbicidine, Bioneem, Neemark, Neemgold,
Neemax, Rakshak, Econeem, Limonool, Repelin, Ozoneem
Trishul, Multineem etc.).
 Conserve natural enemies like Lycosa pseudoannulata,
Cyrtorhinus lividipennis (Mirid bug), Rove beetle, ground beetle,
dragon and damsel fly.

Chemical Management:
 Do not apply resurgence causing insecticides like quinalphos,
chlorpyriphos, methyl parathion, deltamethrin and
cypermethrin.
 When BPH population crosses ETL (5-10 insects/hill) apply any
of the following insecticides as foliar spray (thiamethoxam –
100g/ha, imidacloprid –125ml/ha, ethiprole 10EC –500ml/ha,
clothianidin 50WDG – 60g/ha, bifenthrin (Talstar) 10EC -
250ml/ha, BPMC (Fenobucarb) 50EC –1lit/ha, buprofezin
25%WP (Applaud, Buprolord) – 300 to 500ml/ha) or
imidacloprid 0.2G – 25kg/ha in the main field towards the base
of the plant.
4.White-backed planthopper:
SN- Sogatella furcifera
F- Delphacidae
0-Homoptera
This sp. is generally found during the early growth stage and
causes serious loss in the vegetative stage of the crop. The adults
are brown to black in colour with yellow bodies and conspicuous
dorsal white band on the thorax between the wings from which
the pest derived its name. Males are long winged and females
have both short and long wings.
Damage: Direct damage is caused by both adults and nymphs by
sucking sap from the plant. Damage results in yellowing of lower
leaves. Presence of shooty moult, followed by withering. The crop
does not grow as fast. The no. of tillers reduced due to early
infestation and the nos. of panicles by late attack. The yield and
quality of grains are reduced. High population removes enough
sap to cause the plant to turn orange yellow. Later the leaves dry
and turn brown showing hopper burn.
Non chemical Management:
 Use resistant/tolerant varieties like Ramachandi, Mahanadi,
Prachi or Indravati.
 Others same as non chemical management suggested for BPH.
Chemical Management:
When WBPH population crosses ETL (5-10 insects/hill) apply any of
the insecticides as suggested in case of BPH.

5. Green leafhopper:
Nephotettix virescens
F-Cicadellidae
O- Hemiptera
N. nigropictus, N. malayanus, N. cincticeps
Zig-Zag leaf hopper – Recilia dorsalis
Rice white leaf hopper- Cofna spectra
Blue leaf hopper – Typhlocyha maculifrons
Alternate host: Weed spp
Distribution: Occur in all rice growing areas of the country
Life cycle: Adults are pale green in colour and 3.2- 5.3 mm long.
The male adult possess dark spot at the centre of the fore wing
where as female are devoid of spots. Females are comparatively
bigger in size and lighter in color. The adult female of N.
nigropictus bears a black dot at the centre of the fore wing which
touches the claval suture. A black color bend is present between
the compound eye. In Nephotettix virescensthe spot do not touch
the claval suture and head is uniformly green in color with a
pointed vortex.
The leafhopper migrate into the field soon after the seedling
emerge and are most numerous during the vegetative stage. Each
female lays several hundred eggs in batches of 8-16 by lacerating
the tissue of leaf sheath or mid ribs by means of saw like
ovipositior. Eggs, nymphal and adult period last from 4-16, 13-21
and 7-22 days respectively. There are about 6 overlapping
generation from March-Nov. The insects over winter in adult stage.
The adults are active during day and night and walk side-
wise; when disturbed they quickly jump from the leaf blade.
Damage: Both nymphs and adults suck the sap from the leaves
and tillers with their sucking mouth parts resulting yellowing of
the leaves which later become brown and dry up from the tip
downwards. Apart from direct feeding both nymphs and adults act
as vectors of rice tungro virus disease. It is a serious pest in Kharif
season.

Name of the vector Virus transmitted

N. virescens Tungro, Yellow dwarf, Transitory yellow
N. nigropictus Tungro, Yellow dwarf, Transitory
yellow, Dwarf virus
N. cincticeps Yellow dwarf, Transitory yellow, Dwarf
virus
N. malayanus Rice tungro virus
Recilia dorsalis Dwarf orange leaf, Tungro, Yellow
orange dwarf
Non chemical Management:
 Use resistant/tolerant varieties like Heera, Pathara, Badami, IR-
36, Navin, Lalat, Rambha, Kanchan, Parijat, Srabani, Moti,Tulasi
etc.
 Others same as non chemical management suggested for BPH.
Chemical Management:
When GLH population crosses ETL (5-10 insects/hill, 2 insects / hill
in Tungro endemic areas) apply any of the insecticides as
suggested in case of BPH.

6.Leaf-folder:
SN- Cnaphalocrocis medinalis
O-Lepidoptera
F- Pyralidae
Alternate host : Grasses of various spp
Distribution: All paddy growing areas
Life cycle:
Out of eight species. three species of leaf folders i.e,
Cnaphalocrocis medinalis, Marasmia patnalis, and Marasmia
exigua, have attained pest status on rice. The adult moth is
yellowish-brown with dark or light-brown wavy markings on the
fore wings. It looks like a triangle when rest on leaves. Adults hide
during the day time to escape predation. Mating and egg laying
occurs at night. The first-instar larva feeds on the young leaves by
scraping the leaf surface, but it does not cause the leaves to fold.
The larvae from the late second instar onward can cause the
leaves to fold. First- and early second-instar larvae are gregarious
and generally feed within the slightly folded basal regions of the
young leaves in a tiller. Starting with the late second instar, when
larvae regularly roll up leaves, they become solitary. Generally,
only one larva per leaf roll is found. Larva when full grown found
inside folded leaves, light green in colour with reddish-dark head
and are very agile. Larval stage is 15-25 days. The larvae pupate
in loosely woven strands of silken thread inside the rolled leaf and
stubbles. Adults moths emerge after 6-8 days. The disc shaped
ovoid eggs are laid singly or in pairs on the young leaves. A total
of 300 eggs are laid by a single female. Hatching takes place after
4-7 days. Life cycle is completed within 25-35 days.
Ecological Condition: Use of high level of nitrogen and cloudy
weather with low sunlight favours pest buildup. High humidity and
optimum temperature appear to be important factors in the
insect's abundance.
Application of insecticides (under doses of phorate) in early
stage of the crop growth generally has more adverse effects. Low
level of damage is compensated but damage at post booting
stage leads to yield losses. Leaf folder damage can be observed at
any stage of the crop growth but generally conspicuous during
active tillering to booting stage. Leaffolders have increased in
importance both in upland and lowland rice fields
Damage: Young larvae feed on the unopened youngest leaves
tissues and the older larvae feed inside the feeding chamber
prepared by fastening the longitudinal margin of leaves or the leaf
bent tip down. They feed by scrapping the green matter remaining
inside the leaf fold. The removal of leaf tissue by a larva within a
feeding chamber cause longitudinal white and transparent streaks
on the leaf blade. In severe infestation, the folded leaves entirely
dry up and give a scorched appearance. Damage appears as white
feeding areas in a field. Yield loss is high when the flag leaf is
damaged.
Non chemical Management:
 Keep the bunds clean by trimming them and remove the grassy
weeds.
 Avoidance of mono-cropping.
 Judicious use of nitrogenous fertilizer in split applications is
recommended
 Strict surveillance of rice fields for pests and defenders.
 Mechanical killing of larvae of leaf folders (LF) by collecting and
destroying affected leaves.
 Setting up of light traps to attract and kill adults.
 Release of egg parasotoid Trichogramma chilonis @ 1 lakh / ha
starting from 15 Days after planting(DAP) for 5-6 times at 7-10
days intervals.
 Putting “karada”(Cleistanthus collinus) leaves @ 200 kg/ha in
the field.
 Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) based commercial bio-pesticides may
be sprayed @1kg or 1lit/ha (Dipel, Delfin, Biodart, Thuricide,
Bioasp, Biolep, HIL Btk) at 7-10 days intervals in the evening
hours.
 Foliar spraying of NSKE @5% or neem oil 0.5% or neem based
commercial bio-pesticides 300ppm @ 2.5lit/ha or 1500 ppm @
1.5lit./ha.
Chemical Management:
 Avoid use of broad spectrum insecticides.
 Avoid use of resurgence causing insecticides like carbofuran 3G
and phorate 10G.
 When the pest crosses ETL i.e. 2 freshly damaged leaves/hill
then apply monocrotophos/phosalone/triazophos/ profenophos/
flufenoxuron / lambda-cyhalothrin 2.5EC (Kung Fu, Bravo, Tata
Reeva) @ 1 lit/ha or cartap hydrochloride 50 SP – 500g/ha or
fipronil 5 FS –1 kg/ha or lambda-cyhalothrin 5EC (Karate) –500
ml/ha or flubendiamide(39.35 SC) –175ml/ ha or
indoxacarb14.5SC – 200ml/h

7.Case worm:
SN-Nymphula depunctalis
O-Lepidoptera
F- Pyralidae
Alternate host: Various aquatic grasses
Distribution: All over India except H.P, Jammu and Kasmir
Its common name, caseworm, refers to the larval habit of
forming the leaves of rice plants or grasses into tubes or cases
and enclosing itself within them during feeding. The leaf cases
protect the larvae from natural enemies and act as floats to carry
the larvae from one plant to another. Rice at the seedling and
vegetative stages is its preferred host. It also infests millet and
various grasses such as Panicum, Eragrostis, and Paspalurn. The
caseworm occurs only in rice fields with standing water. The pest
is more prevalent in water-logged and rainfed wetland areas and
is more prevalent in the rainy season.
Life cycle: The adult moth is small, snow white with light brown
black spots on the wings. The adults are nocturnal, hiding in rice
fields during the day and laying eggs at night. .Eggs are pale
yellow disc like and irregular in shape. They laid in batches of
about 20 on the underside of the leaves floating on water.
Incubation period is 3 days.
Caterpillars are pale green in color with a light brown head. It
is semi aquatic in habit and can withstand prolonged immersion. A
characteristic feature that becomes visible only at the start of the
second instar is six rows of gills with tubes connected to the main
trachea which can take oxygen from water. The case is always
filled with water. Cases are replaced with each moult. During day
time the caterpillars hide inside the case and float in water. In
night the larvae comes out and cause damage. The larval stage is
15-30 days.
Pupation takes place inside the last larval case which
fastened to the base of the stem. The larvae spin a silken cocoon
around its body, prior to pupation. Adult emerge after 4-7 days
and lives for 3 weeks.
Damage:
Damage is caused by larvae feeding and cutting off the leaf tips
for making leaf cases. Damage is characterized by ladder-like
appearance of the removed leaf tissue, leaving the upper
epidermis somewhat papery. The cases float in water to spread
the attack to other plants of the same and other fields.
Case worm damage can be distinguished from other pests in two
ways
 The ladder like appearance of the removed leaf tissue resulting
from back and forth motion of the head during feeding
 Leaves cut at right angle as with a pair of scissors.
Non chemical Management:
 Cultural methods involving water management are effective in
controlling the rice caseworm larvae
 Draining the field for at least 3 days will kill most of the larvae
because they are highly dependent on water for oxygen.
 Mechanical killing of larvae of case worm by straining running
water from the field.
 Dragging a rope across the field to dislodge larvae of case
worm to kerosenized water in the field.
 Putting “karada”(Cleistanthus collinus) leaves in the field @ 200
kg/ha.
 Trichogramma minutum is reported as a parasite of caseworm
eggs.Release larval parasitoids viz., Elasmus sp., Apanteles sp.,
Bracon sp., Hormiues sp.
 Several spiders prey on the moth.
 Early planting may escape the peak caseworm moth activity
period
 Use of older seedlings reduces the duration of the susceptible
stage of the crop
 Nitrogen fertilizer use at optimal dosages and split applications
reduce the rice caseworm’s abundance
 Rice fields with wider hill spacing (30 x 20 cm) usually suffers
less damage from caseworm

Chemical Management:
When the pest crosses ETL i.e. 1-2 cases/hill give foliar sprays with
Triazophos/Profenphos/Nuvan/ monocrotophos / chlorpyriphos
50% + cypermethrin 5% @ 1 lit./ha.

8.Gundhi Bug:
SN-Leptocorisa acuta
O-Hemiptera
F- Coreidae)
Alternate host: Various spp. of wild grasses
Distribution: Widely distributed in India
Life cycle: It is a serious pest of upland rice during milky stage.
The adult bug is slender, brownish green in colour measuring
about 15mm in length with long slender legs and four segmented
antennae. It is phototropic and diurnal, but is most active during
early mornings and evenings when the sun is not strong. The
females are stronger fliers than the males. The males are capable
of mating shortly after emergence, but the females start mating
only 7-14 d after becoming adults.
Rice bugs become active when the monsoon rains begin. They
complete 1-2 generation on alternate grassy weeds before
migrating to rice field during flowering stage. When disturbed
adult fly and give off an offensive odour from scent glands on their
abdomen. Adults are active in the late afternoon and early
morning. During dry season adults move to wooden areas where
they remain dormant.
Each female lays 200-300 eggs which were dark red brown, disc
shaped eggs and laid in batches of 10-20 in 2-3 straight rows
along the mid rib in the upper surface of the leaf. Incubation
period is 5-8 days. Newly hatched nymphs are green but they
become browner as they grow. The complete life cycle takes 23-
34 days and there are several generation/ year.
They rest in grassy areas during periods of bright sunshine.
Factors that cause high rice bug populations are nearby
woodlands, extensive weedy areas near rice fields, and staggered
rice planting.
 During flowering of the rice crop, warm weather and frequent
drizzles favor population buildup, but heavy rains reduce it. The
population usually increases at the end of the rainy season and
declines rapidly during dry months and when temperature is
unfavorable. When temperature declines from October onward,
the insects hibernate in grasses. In such areas, late rice crops
escape rice bug infestation. The hibernating adults become active
with the onset of summer rains. Intermittent rains and high
temperature during summer are conducive to terminating the
diapause. After diapause, the adults feed on weeds and other
available alternate hosts on which they pass one to two
generations before migrating to the rice crop now at flowering
stage.
Damage: The nymphs and adults are active during early morning
and late afternoon feeding on the milk of the rice during the milky
stage. The area around the puncture hole turns brown. The
puncture hole serves as a point of entry of several pathogens
which cause grain discoloration. Affected grains in the panicle
become chaffy. Attack in dough stage causes shriveled grains
during milling it will break.
Non chemical Management:
 Eliminate grassy weed from the rice field and surrounding area
 Rice maturing late in a few fields may suffer severe damage
because of the rice bug concentration.Avoid staggered planting
 Keep fermented snail or crab bait @ 20-25/ha to attract and
divert pests from sucking milk of rice grain.
 The extract of 2.5kg garlic + 500g tobacco leaves + 500g
washing powder sprayed over one hectare area during milky
stage of rice controls 80% gundhi bug.
 Spider feed on nymphs and adults
 The meadow grasshopper prays on rice bug eggs
 Scelonid wasp parasitized the eggs.
Chemical Management:
When the pest crosses ETL i.e. 1 bug/ hill then give spray with
DDVP – 500ml/ha/ carbaryl – 2 kg/ha/ abamectin – 500ml/ha/
phosphamidon 40SP –1 lit/ha or dusting with malathion 5%D @
25kg/ha.
9. Mealy Bug:
SN- Brevenia rehi
O- Hemiptera
F- Coccidae
It is a serious pest when transplanted rice fields remain dry.
The females are soft bodied, wingless and pink coloured insects
covered with white waxy mealy mass. The males are smaller and
yellowish white, have a single pair of wings and a waxy style-like
process at the end of the abdomen, but lack mouthparts.
Reproduction is parthenogenetic and the females are extremely
prolific, laying eggs and depositing nymphs simultaneously. The
eggs are yellowish white, about 0.3 mm long, and are laid in
chains. The nymphs establish themselves in groups, in virtually
immobile positions between the leaf sheath and the stem where
they feed. The adult females remain stationary and feed at the
sites of nymphal development.
Damage
Both nymphs and adults suck plant sap remaining stationary
on the stem beneath the leaf sheath at the base of the plants. As
a result the plants turn yellow and become stunted. Damage
occurs in patches since the young nymphs have rather limited
migrating ability with yellowish curled up leaves and chaffy
earheads. Likewise, mealybug numbers vary greatly between hills.
This causes the field to have several spots of depressed growth,
Dry spell favours population built up and damage under drought
conditions becomes high.
Non chemical Management:
 Weed out the graminacious weed hosts from the field.
 Continuous flooding of the field at 5-cm depth throughout the
crop growth period
 Give intra row manual hoeing or with weeder.
 Removal and destruction of infested plants at the first sign of
mealybug damage.
 Lady beetles such as Coccinella repanda, Menochilus
sexmaculatus, and Harmonia octomaculata are the main
natural enemies of the mealybug.
Chemical Management:
 The waxy secretion covering the mealy bugs and their habit of
living behind leaf sheaths protect them from insecticide.
 Give foliar spray of Dimethoate – 1 lit/ha or thiamethoxam –
100g/ha or imidacloprid –125ml/ha. Foliar sprays are effective,
however, if the nozzle is directed to the bases of plants.
 Granular insecticides are effective in fields with standing water.

10. Swarming caterpillar (Army worm):

SN- Spodoptera mauritia
O-Lepidoptera
F- Noctuidae
Distribution: Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar
Alternate host: Different kinds of grasses and occasionally on
maize, oat and sorghum.
Swarming caterpillars are cut worms which appear in wetland rice
after the floods recede. The adult is a stout, medium-sized grey
brown moth with black spots on the fore wings. The hind wings are
white. The caterpillar is light brown in colour with three
longitudinal pale brown or yellowish red stripes over the body. The
caterpillars feed on the leaves and tender shoots of rice plants by
completely defoliating it. They are active during late afternoon,
night and early morning. During day time they hide themselves
under leaves of grasses, cracks and crevices in the field bunds. In
severe cases the field appears as if grazed by cattle’s. They
migrate from one field to another in mass when food in one field is
over.
Factors favouring population buildup
 Prolonged dry condition followed by heavy rainfall favours its
outbreak.
 Wind and rain storm helps in migration of moths to long
distances.
 Pest occurs throughout the year on alternate hosts and move to
paddy in
 kharif season
 Heavy rainfall leads to high mortality of larval population.
 Pest migrates from older rice to grassy areas for off season
survival.
Control measures:
a. Cultural control
 Crop rotation in endemic pockets helps.
 Deep ploughing the field in summer exposes the larvae and
pupae for predation
 by birds.
 Remove excess nurseries and weeds from the field and bunds
 Flooding the nurseries and small fields brings out the larvae to
the surface, which get predated by the birds. Ducks if let into
field, will feed on the caterpillars.
 Use of bamboo perches facilitates predation by birds.
 In case of severe infestation, small plots can be isolated and the
movement of
 the caterpillars can be prevented by digging a trench around
the infested field
 wherever possible.
b. Mechanical
 The inability of S. mauritia larvae to swim in water is a
weakness and in flooded fields they are forced to stay on the
plants which they defoliate.Therefore, kerosene oil may be
poured into the stagnant water in the bunded fields (2 L
kerosene per hectare). With the use of a long rope stretched
across the field (two persons walk through the field) the paddy
plants are shaken rigorously. The larvae fall into the
kerosenized water and ultimately die.
 Application of malathion dust (2% dust applied at 25 kg ha–1)
or chlorpyriphos dust (1.5%) or endosulfan dust (5%) along the
bunds of the field kills the pest and also prevents the migration
of larvae to other rice fields. The technique was widely adopted
because it proved to be a cheap and effective method for
managing the S. mauritia within a short time.
 Before the paddy season, grasses near the fields earmarked for
paddy, may be destroyed mechanically which provide shelter
and act as reservoir for migration of larvae.
 As the moths of S. mauritia are attracted towards light,
therefore, light traps
 can also be utilized for mass trapping of the moths.
 Non chemical Management:
 Strict surveillance of rice fields for appearance of the pests. If
the population is less than 1 larva/hill then (i) spray with
Beauveria bassiana product (Boverin, Biopower, Ankush,
Daman, Biorin) @ 1kg/ha or (ii) Bt based biopesticides available
in the market may be sprayed @1kg or 1lit/ha or (iii) Give foliar
spraying of NSKE @5% or neem oil 0.5% or neem based bio-
pesticides 300ppm @ 2.5lit/ha or 1500 ppm @ 1.5 lit/ha.
 Set light traps to attract and kill adults.
Chemical Management:
When the pest crosses ETL i.e. 1 larva/ hill then spray with
chlorpyriphos / triazophos/ profenophos –1 lit/ha and dust the field
bunds heavily with methyl parathion 2%D, chlorpyriphos 1%D,
malathion 5%D, quinalphos 1.5%D - 25 to 30kg/ ha. Pesticide
application should be done in the evening hours.

11. Rice Hispa :

SN- Dicladispa armigera
O- Coleoptera
F- Chrysomelidae
Alternate host: Various grass spp
Ecological Condition: The pest is not reported on upland rice
and prefers more aquatic habitats. It is prevalent in wet land rice
environments particularly irrigated areas where rice grows
throughout the year. It is more abundant in rainy seasons. Pest
population buildup is favored by rainy and cloudy days. Heavy
rains, especially in premon-soon or earliest monsoon periods,
followed by abnormally low precipitation, minimum day-night
temperature differential for a number of days, and high RH favour
rapid buildup of hispa populations.
Incidence is generally higher in fields treated with higher
rates of N and where plants grow thickly under shade. The leaves
of semi-dwarf varieties are more heavily infested than are those of
conventional local varieties.
Life cycle: The adult is a small blue-black shiny beetle 5.5mm
long with spines over the body surface. The eggs are laid singly
near the tip of the leaf blade, generally on the ventral surface, and
are partially inserted beneath the epidermis and covered with a
small quantity of a dark substance probably secreted by the
female beetle. Each female lays about 50 eggs during its life time
of 1-2 months. Eggs are white and oval. Egg stage is 4-5 days.
After hatching the flat white or pale yellow grub tunnel inside the
leaves as leafminor. Grubs becomes full grown in 7-12 days.
Brown pupae are also flattened and exarate type and they
develop inside the mine. Pupal stage last for 4-5 days.
Damage: The damage start in the nurseries and spread to the
rice field. Both the adult and grub feed on rice leaves.
The tunnelling of the grubs between the two epidermal layers
results in irregular translucent white patches starting from
ovipositional sites near the leaf tip and extending toward the base
of the leaf blades. Adult scrap the upper leaf surface tissue and
leaves white parallel strikes on leaves. The affected parts of the
leaves usually wither off. In severe infestations, the leaves turn
whitish and membranous and finally dry off.
Management:
 The pest is suppressed if the infested leaf tips are clipped off
and destroyed, while transplanting.
 Manual collection and killing of beetles with hand nets may help
in reducing the population of the pest.
 Excess N application should be avoided.
 Early planting escape the hispa build up.
 Spray at economic threshold level(1 adult or 1-2 damaged
leaves / hill) with chlorpyriphos / triazophos/ profenophos –1
lit/ha

12. Rice skipper:

SN-Pelopidas mathias
f- Hesperiidae
o- lepidoptera
Life history: Adults are light brown with orange marking and
white spots. The skipper butterflies are active during day time.
Adult is having capitate antenna. The white spherical eggs are laid
singly and glued on the leaf blade. A female lays 88 eggs on
leaves. Eggs period is 3-6 days.
Larva-26 days
Pupa- 7-12 days
Adult- 4-9 days
Larvae are yellowish green with four white distal strips. It has
large head, distinct neck, tapering body with a “V” shaped
marking on the head capsule. The body of the caterpillar is
smooth, skipper larvae rest at the base of the plants during the
day and feed on leaf blades at night.
Pupation occur inside a tube prepared by tying the leaves
together with silken threads. The light brown or light green pupa
rests in a bed of silk and has a pointed end which is attached to
the folded leaf.
Damage: Rice skipper produce damage similar to that caused by
the green horned caterpillar. Larvae are eaten away at parallel to
the mid rib. Sometime leaf rolling occur.
Management:
 No effective cultural control methods
 Eggs are parasitized by trichogrammatids wasps, larvae are
parasitized by ichneumonid, braconid, chalcid wasp. Larvae also
preyed upon by ear-wing and reduvid bug
 Spider feed on adults
 Chemical spraying: Spraying of contact insecticides like
chlorpyriphos / triazophos/ profenophos –1 lit/ha

13. Rice whorl Maggot:

SN-Hydrill philippina
O-Diptera
F-Ephydridae
Pest status: The rice whorl maggot Hydrellia philippina was first
recorded as a serious pest of rice in the Philippines in 1962. The
insect is semiaquatic and attacks only rice plants, particularly
those in irrigated fields and does not occur in upland rice. It is
usually observed at the vegetative stage of the rice plant, feeding
on the central whorl leaf. Its common name, rice whorl maggot,
reflects its feeding habit.
Life history: Adults are grey with transparent wings. Adults are
active during day, locating rice fields by reflected sunlight from
the water surface.
The eggs are laid singly on either surface of the leaves during
the first 30 days of transplanting. The elongated eggs are readily
seen with the naked eye which is glued on to the leaf surface.
 Legs less larvae are transparent to light cream in colour and
older ones are yellow. They wriggle down the leaf blade on a film
of dew to the base of tiller. The full-grown larva is cylindrical with
the posterior end tapering to a pair of pointed spiracles. Under low
magnification, the heavily sclerotized mouth hook and
cephalopharyngeal skeleton can be easily identified. Dark brown
pupae are found inside older tillers.
Damage: Larvae rasp plant tissue with their hardened mouth
hooks. They eat the tissue of unopened leaves. When the leaves
grown out the damage becomes visible.
Damaged leaves have white or transparent patches near the
edge after they unfold. A lengthy damaged leaf has only pin hole
feeding areas. The severely damaged leaves break from the wind.
Due to severe damage maturation may be delayed. Damage
plants are stunted and set few tillers.
Management:
Cultural Method:
 Because adults are attracted to standing water, the
water at intervals during the 1st day after transplanting reduces
egg laying.
 Direct-seeded rice is not as attractive to adults as a
transplanted rice crop is
 Fields with higher plant density suffers less damage
 Transplanting older seedlings
 Azolla covering the water surface prevents infestation
from W.M
Biological Control:
 Trichogramatids wasp parasitize the egg and eulophid
and braconide parasitize the larvae
Chemical Control:
 Soil incorporation of systemic granules during last
harrowing before transplanting
 Soaking seedling in systemic insecticide solution for an
over night
 Foliar spray : Spraying of contact insecticides like
chlorpyriphos / triazophos/ profenophos –1 lit/ha

14. Rice thrips:

SN- Stenchaetothrips biformis
F-Thripidae
O- Thysanoptera
Pest status: Out breaks are normally small, plants can recover
from damage. More abundant in dry weather.
Life cycle: Thrips have short life cycle and can multiply rapidly.
Despite their small size and fragile appearance thrips can travel
long distance.
About 25 eggs are laid by an individual female in her life span of
2 wks. Eggs are laid singly inside the tissue of youngest rice
leaves. The yellow larvae feed on leaf tissue on the upper part of
plants. When larvae matures it stop feeding and is transformed
into a dark brown pre pupa protected in a rolled leaf blade. The
pre-pupa then transformed into a pupa which has long wing pads.
Damage: The larvae and adults have rasping type of mouth parts
with one mandible they puncture the tissue and they suck the leaf
sap. Damaged leaves have silvery streaks. The extensive removal
of green leaf tissue cause only a translucent epidermic to remain.
Damage leaf curl inwards longitudinally from the edges forming a
protective chamber for adults and nymphs. Leaf tips then dry up.
Management:
 Flooding the field to submerge plants for 2 days effectively
controlled thrips.
 Foliar spray (thiamethoxam – 100g/ha, imidacloprid –125ml/ha,
clothianidin 50WDG – 60g/ha

15. Rice grass hoppers:

Small grass hopper – Oxya japonica japonica
Big grass hopper: Hieroglyphus banian
(Orthoptera: Acrididae)
Pest status: Grass hoppers are localized in dry regions and can
be readily controlled with insecticides. The small grass hoppers
are sporadic importance.
Adults: The body of Oxya japonica japonica is bright green with a
yellow green strip running from the head along with back. A black
strip runs along each side of the body.
Eggs are laid in mass of 10-29 among stem or grasses clumps, 1-2
inch above water level and are protected by a red brown gummy
substances to protect them from deskeleton.. Eggs period is 15-41
days.
 H. banian female adults lays eggs in field bunds in masses of 30-
40 in each pod during Oct.- Dec. and emerge in the following June
after the monsoon.
Nymphs: The body of O. japonica japonica nymphs is green. Two
narrow red brown bands run down its back from the compound
eyes to the base of the wing. The body of H. banian nymphs is red
brown later becoming green. It has two brood strips along the
back.
There is only one brood in a year and pass the winter and dry
part of the summer in egg stage. The nymphal period occupies
from two & half to three & half months.
Damage: Symptom of damage
 Irregular feeding on seedlings and leaf blade.
 Cutting of stem at panicle stage.
 Completely defoliate the plants leaving only the mid ribs
Management:
 Bund trimming
 Biological Control: Diff. Scelionid parasitic wasp can locate G. H
eggs in the soil or on the plants. Nymphs and adults are killed
by parasitic flies, Nematodes and fungal pathogens. Birds, frogs
and web spinning spider are major predators.
 Chemical Control: Granules are not effective against G.H.
Hence spraying or dusting of chlorpyriphos, malathion are
recommended.

16. Rice horned caterpillar,

Melanitis ismene
Damage
 Larva feeds on leaf blades of rice.
 Leaves are defoliated from the margin or tip irregularly.
Identification of insect pest
 Egg - White eggs singly on the leaves is green,
 Larva - Lightly flattened with two red horns processes
on the head. Two yellow processes in the anal end.
 Pupa - Chrysalis, which suspends from the leaf.
 Adult - dark brown with large wings having a black

yellow eye like spot one on each of the fore wings

 Striped borer
 It has 2 species i.e,
 Chilo supressalis (Pale headed Striped Borer)
 Chilo polychrysa (Dark headed Striped Borer)

I. Chilo supressalie
CN - The Pale-headed Striped Borer
Order - Lepidoptera / Crambidae
Family - Pyralidae
Distribution - India (Assam, West Bengal, Odisha & Bihar), China,
Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Spain, Philippines, Thailand.
Eggs of all chilo spp are Polyphagus in nature.

Mark of identification
 Straw color.
 Looks like male yellow stem borer but larger.
 Adult - 26mm long. Head is yellowish brown, hind wings are
white, middle dorsal line a lighter than the two along each side.
Moth is 12mm long with pale yellow wings of 26 mm expanse.
Biology
 Egg period - 4-10 days
 Larval period - 33-50 days
 Pupal period - 5-10 days
Control & management
same as YSB

II. Chilo polychrysa

CN - Dark- headed striped Borer
Order - Lepidoptera
Family - Pyralidae
Distribution - India (Assam, West Bengal, Odisha & Bihar), China,
Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Spain, Philippines, Thailand.

Marks of identification
Larval is yellowish white has a black head capsule.
Black thoracic plate & 5 longitudinal stripes on the body.
18-24 mm in length.
Forewings of male moths are brown with a cluster of dark spots
covered with golden scales in the middle.
Females are palese in color.
Biology
 Egg period - 4-7 days
 Larval period 28-26 days (5 molting)
 Pupal period - 4-6 days
Management and control
Same as YSB

Pink borer
CN - Pink borer/Purple stem borer.
SN - Sesamia inferens
Order - Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Distribution: India, Pakistan, Sri-Lanka, Korea etc.
Host: Polyphagous

Marks of identification
Larva are pinkish brown, 25 mm.
Adult a stout straw coloured with forewings having 3 small discal
dots & brown strips.
Hindwings & thorax are white.
It is a nocturnal habit.
Biology
 Egg period - 6-8 days
 Larval period - 3-4 weeks
 Pupal period about 7 days
 Eggs are head-like. Females lay eggs in 1 to 3 rows within the
leaf sheath, some 30 - 100 per batch.
Nature of damage
Larva bore into the stem of young plants & kill the central shoot
causing dead heart.
Management and control
Same of YSB

Mites (sucking post)

Tetranychidae - Spider mites/Red mites.
Tenuipalpidae - False spider mite.
Tarsonemidae - Yellow mites / Broad mite
Eriophyidae - Gall mites
All mites have 4 pairs of legs.
Eriophyidae have 2 pairs of legs.
Chelicera is the
Don't suck cell cap, they cut open the leaf tissues with their
chelicerae. They put their Chelicerae in the plant juice & put it
inside their mouth.
I. Tetranychidae
4 pairs of legs - globular
Lifecycle
Egg - Larva - 3 nymphal stages(proto, douto, trito) - Adult -
Puparia
Feed, live and lay eggs on leaf surfaces. They
make webbings.
Nature and symptoms of damage
Leaf will show mettle color. The leaves die and fall.
Live in colonies.
II. Tenuipalpidae (False spider mite)
1mm
Dorso - Ventrally flattened.
Cut the leaf tissue, usually they live on the underside of leaves.
Red lines along the veins of the leaf. Live in colonies. Plant
becomes yellowish & dies.
III. Tumsenomidae (yellow mites / bread mites)
They don't remain in colonies.
Live on both sides of the leaves.
feed on the plant tissue.
Leaves become yellow brown and die.
It causes many diseases like Polyphagotarsonemus, Murda disease
in chili and Tambera disease in Potato.
IV. Eriophyidae(Gall mites/finger mite/pouch mite)
Microscopic mites
2 pairs of legs.
Resembles a grub or larvae.
Worm like - Body is insulated & rings are there.
Cryptic in nature.
Remain in large colonies, wherever they remain they form gall.
Rice have 2 mites
Oligonychus oryzae (Family - Tetranychidae)
Steneotarsonemus spinkii (Family - tarsonemidae)
Rice Aphid
SN - Rhopalosiphum rufiabdominale
Family - Aphididae
Order - Hemiptera

Marks of identification
Adults are 1-2 mm long with soft rounded bodies.
They can be dark green to brown with yellow or red wings.
Always found in clusters.
Biology
 Found in a cool climate in plains with no wings.
 During summers, develop wings to migrate to cooler place (high
elevation).
 In plains, females go for parthenogenesis. Young ones also
reproduce parthenogenetically called as Paedogenesis.
 Cyclic pathogenesis.
 Nymphis are called fundatories.
 Chronicles are present.
Nature and symptoms of damage
 Both nymphs and adults suck call sap. Always prefers succulent
parts of the plants.
 Crimping & curling of leaves.
 Chlorosis followed by necrosis, secret honeydew gives
development to black fungus that cause sooty mold.
Management
Spraying of systemic insecticide – Imidacloprid
Sub- Order - Homoptera
Mealybugs - Pseudococcidae (A nymph females sessile)
Scale - coccidae
White Fly - Aleyrodidae (Both male and female become adults and
nymphs are sessile)
LH - Cicadellidae
P.H - Delphacidae (Agile insect)
 All of these sucks cell sap have filter chamber Mucin,
Methylamine deficient thats why suck sap & excrete honeydew.
Psyllidae family (Psylla/Plant lice).
 Sooty mold - Capnodium sp (Black fungus) are attracted to
honeydew, becomes black.
Management of Aphid
Predators
I. Chrysoperla carnea (Family - Chrysopidae)
green less wing / Aphid lion @ 1 lakh first instar larva/ha
II. Ladybird Beetle (Family - Coccinellidae)
Two species - Coccinella transversalis & Cheilomenas zexmaculate
@5000/ha
Both can be reared.
III. Syrphidae
called as hoven flies
Species - Ischiodon scutellaris
Use of yellow sticky traps for aphids.

Rice Cutworm
SN. - Mythimna separata
Family - Noctuidae
Order - Lepidoptera

Marks of identification
 Sporadic and polyphagous pests.
 Usually occurs after flash food.
 Nocturnal
 Wing expansion - 40mm, Forewings are grayish with black
spots. Caterpillars are stout & greenish in color, yellowish brown
head, having transverse lines and then lateral side of the body.
Biology
 Adult females lay about 200-300 globular eggs in groups.
Egg period - 3-5 days.
 Larval period - 25-30 days.
 Pupation takes place in the inside soil, pupal period - 7-10
days.
Nature and symptoms of damage
 Larva remains off inside the leaf sheath at day time.
 Field looks like cattle raising.
 At night time, they cut the plant.

Zig Zag Leaf Hopper

SN - Recilia dorsalis
Family - Cicadellidae
Order - Hemiptera

Marks of identification
Adults are whitish gray color hoppers. ‘V’ shaped/zig zag brown
lines are present an ite forewings measuring about 3 - 4 mm.
Biology
 Adult females lay about 50 - 100 eggs in exposed leaf
tissue. Egg period - 3-5 days.
 After hatching, the nymphs start feeding on a leaf blade.
Nature and symptoms of damage
Both nymphs & adults suck cell cap as a result yellowing of leaf
orange discolouration is seen in the margin of leaf & tip decames
dry.
It also transmits tungro disease.