PESTS OF RICE (BORERS AND FOLIAGE FEEDERS) :: Major Pests :: Yellow Stem Borer

1. Yellow stem borer: Scirpophaga incertulas (Pyraustidae: Lepidoptera)

Distribution and Status: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
Host range: Rice

Damage symptoms: Larva feeds on the stem and causes drying of the central shoot known as “dead heart” in the young seedlings,
and drying of the panicle in grown up plant called “white ear”. Damage ranges from 30-80%.

Whitehead or dead panicles at reproductive stage (IRRI)

ETL
 2 egg masses/ m2
 10% dead hearts - Vegetative stage
 2% white ear - Flowering stage
Bionomics: Female moth has bright yellowish brown fore wings with a black spot and a tuft of yellow anal hairs while male is smaller
with pale yellow forewings without black spot. Each female lays 170-200 eggs in a mass of 15-80 on the upper surface of leaf tips
covered with buff coloured hairs.

The egg period 6-9 days; larva pale yellow with dark brown head, swims in water and bores in to the stem near the node. The larva
migrates to other tillers also. Larval period 20-45 days, pupation in white silken cocoon. Pupa dark brown in color, pupal period is
6-10 days.
Management
o Grow resistant varieties viz., Ratna, Jaya, TKM 6, IR 20 and IR 26, Sayasree, Saket, IET 3127, IET 2812, MTU 5849, PTB 12, PTB
20, PT 321, H 4
o Clip the seedling tips before transplanting to eliminate egg masses and collect & destroy the egg masses in main field.
o Avoid close planting and continuous water stagnation at early stages.
o Collect and destroy the dead hearts and white ears.
o Set up light traps to attract and kill the moths.
o Install sex pheromone traps to monitor and mass trap.
o Release the egg parasitoid, Trichogramma japonicum twiceon 30 and 37 DAT @ 5 cc/ha/release.
o Apply Bacillus thuringiensis var kurstaki and neem seed kernel extract in the combination of 2.5 g/L and 1% to reduce the
oviposition by the stem borer.
o Apply carbofuran 3 G @ 25 kg or benfuracarb 3 G 33 kg or or chlorantraniliprole 0.4 G 10 kg or fipronil 0.3 G 17-25 kg or cartap
hydrochloride 4 G 18.75 kg or spray acephate 75 SP 666-1000 g cartap hydrochloride 50 SP 1 kg or monocrotophos 36 SL 1.0 L or
quinalphos 25 EC 1.0 L or azadirachtin 0.15 W/W 1.5-2.5 L or azadirachtin 5 % 400 ml or carbosulfan 25 EC 800-1000 ml
or chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC 150 ml or ethofenoprox 10 EC 500-750 ml or fipronil 5 SC 1-1.5 L or fipronil 80 WG 50-62.5 g or
flubendiamide 20 WG 125 g or flubendiamide 39.35 M/M SC 50 ml or lambda-cyhalothrin 2.5 EC 500 ml/ 5 EC 250 ml or
phosphamidon 40 SL 1.25 L or thiacloprid 21.7 SC 500 ml or thiamethoxam 25 WG 100 g per ha using water @ 500 L/ha
o Harvest the crop up to the ground level and disturb the stubbles with plough immediately after the harvest.
 PESTS OF RICE (BORERS AND FOLIAGE FEEDERS) :: Major Pests :: Gall Midge

2. Gall midge: Orseolia oryzae (Cecidomyiidae:

Diptera)

Distribution and Status: India, Burma, Cambodia,

Sri Lanka, China, Indonesia, Nigeria, Sudan, Vietnam
and Pakistan.

Host range: Rice, wild species of Oryza and grasses

like Paspalum scrobiculatum, Panicum spp.,
Cyanodan dactylon and Eleucine indica.

Onion shoots affected tillers (IRRI)

Damage symptoms: The maggot feeds at the base of the
growing shoot causing formation of a tube like gall similar to “onion
needle” or “silver-shoot”. Infested tillers produce no panicles.

ETL: 10% silver shoots.

Bionomics: Orange coloured mosquito like fly is active during

night and lays 100-300 reddish, elongate, tubular eggs just near
the ligule of the leaf blade. Egg period 3-4 days, maggot pale red
during feeding and larval period 8-10 days. Maggot pupates at the
base of the gall and moves to tip of the gall and projects outside
during emergence. Life cycle lasts for 15-20 days.

Management
o Encourage early planting of the crop with quick growing varieties
to escape infestation.
o Use resistant varieties like MDU-3, Shakthi, Vikram, Sureka, IR 36,
Kkatiya, Dhanaya Lakshmi, Phalguna, Kunti, Shamlei, Asha,
Rajendran, Shrakasha, Erra mallelu, Kavya, Orugallu and R 650 -
1820
o Plough immediately after crop harvest.
o Remove the alternate host.
o Apply fertilizers in balanced manner.

 Set up light trap @ 1 / ha as a monitoring device. Infra red light trap attracts gall midge effectively.
 Release larval parasitoid, Platygaster oryzae through parasitized galls @ 1 per 10 m2 in the main field at 10 days after
transplanting (DAT).
 The is an effectivhe predator.
 Conserve predatory spiders like Tetragnatha, Argiope catenulata and carabid beetle (Ophionia indica) in rice ecosystem.
 Apply carbofuran 3G @ 25 kg or fipronil 0.3 G 16.7 - 25.0 kg or spray endosulfan 35 EC 1.0 L or quinalphos 25 EC 1.0 L
or ethofenprox 10 EC 500-750 ml or fipronil 5 SC 1.0 -1.5 kg or lambda-cyhalothrin 2.5 EC 500 ml / 5 EC 250 ml or
thiamethoxam 25 WG 100 g in 500 L water/ha.
 PESTS OF RICE (BORERS AND FOLIAGE FEEDERS) :: Major Pests :: Swarming Caterpiller

3. Swarming caterpillar: Spodoptera mauritia (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera)

Host range: Rice, maize, jowar, wheat, barley and sugarcane
Distribution and status:India, South East Asia, USA, Australia, Africa
Damage symptoms: This is a sporadic pest but causes very serious damage to young crops when it appears in large
numbers. The caterpillars feed at night and hide during the day.

Larvae cut the seedlings in large scale and appears as if grazed

by cattle by its nocturnal feeding. Peduncles of ears are bitten
through in maturing crop. They feed gregariously and march
from field to field. The damage is severe in July - September. It
breeds on a variety of grasses. Yield loss ranges from 10-20%.

Damaged leaf blades and Panicles cut off from the base (IRRI)

Paddy Swarming caterpillar (Armyworm) - Video

Bionomics: Adult moth is medium sized

stoutly built, dark brown with a
conspicuous triangular spot on fore
wings. Eggs are laid in masses on
leaves and covered with grey hairs. The
egg period is 7 days. Caterpillar is
cylindrical, dark to pale green with lateral
lines along the body. The larval period is
20-25 days. It pupates in an earthern
cocoon in soil for 10-15 days.

Management
o Conserve larval parasitoids viz., Apanteles ruficrus, Meteorus sp., Charops bicolor, C. dominans, Drino unisetosa,
Pseudoperichaeta orientalis, Strobliomyia aegyptia, Pseudogonia cinerascens, Tachinia analis, Cuphocera varia, Sturmia
inconspicua, Chelonus sp., Euplectrus euplexiae, E. spodopterae anda parasitic nematode (Hexamermis sp.)
o Conserve pupal parasitoids viz., Netelia sp., Actias sp., Drino sp. and Isomera cinerascens
o Protect vertebrate predators of the larvae viz., House Crow Corvus splendens, Jungle Crow C.
macrorhynchos, CattleEgret Bubulcus coromandus, Indian pond heronorPaddy bird Ardeola grayi, white breasted water
hen Amaurovius phoenicocurus, Indian Myna Acridotheres tristis.
o Flood the nursery to expose the hiding larvae to the surface for birds to pick them up.
o Kerosenate water during irrigation to suffocate and kill the larvae.
o Allow ducks into the field to feed on the larvae.
o Drain water from nursery and spray chlorpyriphos 20 EC 80 ml (or) endosulfan 35 EC 80 ml during late evening.
 PESTS OF RICE (BORERS AND FOLIAGE FEEDERS) :: Major Pests :: Leaf Folder

4. Leaf folder (or) leaf roller: Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Pyralidae: Lepidoptera)

Distribution and status: India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Madagascar, New Guinea, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, South East Asia, Korea.

Host range: Grasses

Damage symptoms: The caterpillar folds the leaves longitudinally and remains inside. It scrapes the
green tissues of the leaves and makes them white and dry. During severe infestation the whole field
exhibits scorched appearance.

ETL
10% damaged leaves in vegetative stage
5% damaged leaves (flag leaf) in flowering stage

Bionomics: The adult moth is often seen in the field during daytime. The moth is brownish with many dark wavy lines in centre and
dark band on margin of wings. The female moth lays eggs in batches of 10-12, which are arranged in linear row in the lower surface
of leaves. The eggs are flat, oval in shape and yellowish white in colour. The egg period is 4-7 days. Larva is 15-20 mm long, pale
green, transparent, actively moving caterpillar. The larval period is 15-20 days. It pupates inside the leaf fold. The pupa is greenish
brown. The pupal period is 6-8 days. Total life cycle: 25-35 days.

Management
 Use resistant varieties like TNAU LFR 831311, Cauvery, Akashi, TKM-6, IET 7511, IET 9225 and IET 9797, ASD 20, VC Dhan
221, PTB 12, PTB 20, PT 321, H 4
 Clipping of affected leaves reduces the pest population.
 Trim the bunds and remove grassy weeds.
 Avoid use of excessive nitrogenous fertilizer.
 Set up light traps to attract and kill the moths.
 Release Trichogramma chilonis thrice on 37, 44 and 51 DAT followed by three sprays of monocrotophos 36 SL 1.0 L/ha on 58, 65
and 72 DAT.
 Apply benfuracarb 3 G 3.3 kg or cartap hydrochloride 4 G 1.875 - 2.5 kg /ha
 Spray any of the following insecticide in 500 L water/ha

 NSKE 5% 25 kg  Chlorpyriphos 20 EC 1.25 L

 Acephate 75 SP 666-1000 g  Ethofenoprox 10 EC 500-750 ml
 Azadirachtin 0.15% w/w 1.5 - 2.5 L  Fipronil 80 WG 50 - 62.5 g
 Azadirachtin 5% 400 ml  Phosalone 35 EC 1.5 L
 Cartap hydrochloride 50 SP 1 kg  Phosphamidon 40 SL 1.25 L
 Flubendiamide 20 WG 125 - 250  gLambda-cyhalothrin 2.5 EC 500 ml
or 39.35 M/M SC 50 ml or 5 EC 250 ml
 Chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC 150 ml or 0.4 G 10 kg  Thiamethoxam 25 WG 100 g
 PESTS OF RICE (BORERS AND FOLIAGE FEEDERS) :: Major Pests :: Rice Case Worm

5. Rice case worm: Nymphula depunctalis (Pyraustidae: Lepidopera)

Distribution and Status: India, South East Asia,
Australia
Host plant: Rice
Damage symtoms: The caterpillars feed on green tissues
of the leaves and form tubular cases around them by
cutting the apical portion of leaves, which float on
water. Several tubes are also seen hanging from the
plants. In case of severe infestation plants are unable to
grow. They damage leaf tips. The apical portion of cut
leaves bear whitish papery areas since the chlorophyll is
scrapped.

Floating leaf cases (IRRI)

Bionomics: Adult is a delicate white moth with pale brown wavy

markings. Eggs are laid on leaves. Egg period is 2-6 days. Larva is pale
translucent green with orange head. Larva constructs a case. Larval period
is 14-20 days. Larva has filamentous gills on the sides of the body that
helps to lead a semi aquatic life. It pupates in case it self for 4-7 days. The
total life cycle occupies 19-37 days.

Management
o Conserve larval parasitoids viz., Elasmus sp., Apanteles sp., Bracon sp.,
o Conserve pupal parasitoids viz., Pediobius sp., Apsilops sp., Eupteromalus parnarae
o Drain water from the field
o Dislodge the cases by running a rope over the young crop
o Spray endosulfan 35 EC or monocrotophos 36 SL 1.0 L or phenthoate 50 EC 1.0 L in 500 L water/ha.
 PESTS OF RICE (BORERS AND FOLIAGE FEEDERS) :: Major Pests :: Rice Skipper

6. Rice skipper: Pelopidas mathias (Hesperiidae: Lepidoptera)

Distribution and status: India, South East Asia, China, Africa

Host range: Rice, Sugarcane

Damage symptoms: Edges of the leaves are fastened with webbing. Backward rolling
of leaves, feeding from margin inwards are symptoms of damage.

Folded Leaves (IRRI)

Bionomics: Adult butterfly has brown coloured wings and

curved antennae. Eggs are laid singly on the leaf
blades. Larva is pale green with constricted neck.
 PESTS OF RICE (BORERS AND FOLIAGE FEEDERS) :: Major Pests :: Spiny Beetle / Rice Hispa

7. Spiny beetle / Rice hispa: Dicladispa armigera (Chrysomelidae: Coleoptera)

Distribution and status: Bangladesh, Burma, Southern China, India, West Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sumatra,
Thailand, West Iran.
Host range: Rice
Damage symptoms: Adults feed on chlorophyll by scraping and cause white parallel streaks (or) white patches
along the long axis of leaf. Grubs mine into the leaves and make blister near leaf tips.

Damage on leaf (IRRI)

Rice Hispa (Video)

Bionomics: Adult is blue - black shiny beetle with

spines on the thorax and elytra. It lays eggs singly on
the leaf tip. Grub is minute, flat and yellow. It mines
between the epidermal layers of leaf and pupates in leaf
mines. Egg period: 4-5 days; Larval period: 7-12 days;
Pupal period: 3-5 days. There are six generations / year.

Management
o The leaf tips containing blotch mines should be plucked and destroyed.
o Manual collection and killing of beetles with hand nets may help in reducing the population of the pest.
o Dust the crop with 10% BHC dust @ 30 kg/ha at least two times at an interval of 40 days.
o Spray endosulfan 1.0 L or lambda-cyhalothrin 2.5 EC 500 ml / EC 250 ml in 500 L water/ha.
 PESTS OF RICE (BORERS AND FOLIAGE FEEDERS) :: Major Pests :: Whorl Maggot

8. Whorl maggot: Hydrellia sasakii (Ephydridae: Diptera)

Distribution and status: Philippines

Host range: Rice, Cyanodon dactylon and Echinochloa crusgalli

Damage symptoms: Yellowish white longitudinal marginal blotching with hole in a few places
on the emerging leaves. Leaves become shriveled. Plant gets stunted and maturity is
delayed. Maximum damage is observed on 30 DAT.

ETL - 25% damaged leaves

Pinholes and patches

(IRRI)
Bionomics: The adult is a small dull grey fly. Maggot is 2 mm in length and feeds on the tender tissue inside the
whorl. It is yellowish white in colour.

Rice whorl maggot (IRRI)

Management
o Apply carbofuran 3G 10 kg or cartap hydrochloride 4 G 18.75-25.0 kg or fipronil 0.3 G 16.70 - 25.0 kg shortly after
transplanting.
o Spray endosulfan 35 EC 1.0 L or quinalphos 25 EC 1.0 L or ethofenoprox 10 EC 500-750 ml or fipronil 5 SC 1.0 -1.5 L or
in 500 L water/ha.
 PESTS OF RICE (BORERS AND FOLIAGE FEEDERS) :: Major Pests :: Rice Horned Caterpiller

9. Rice horned caterpillar: Melanitis ismene (Satyridae, Lepidoptera)

Distribution and status: Throughout India
Host range: Rice, Millets
Damage symptoms: The larva of this butterfly feeds on leaf blades of rice. Leaves are defoliated from the margin or tip
irregularly.

Bionomics: The butterfly lays round white eggs singly on

the leaves. The caterpillar is green, slightly flattened with
two red horn processes on the head and two yellow
processes in the anal end. It pupates in a greenish
chrysalis, which suspends from the leaf. The butterfly is
dark brown with large wings having a black and yellow
eye like spot one on each of the fore wings.

PESTS OF RICE (BORERS AND FOLIAGE FEEDERS) :: Major Pests :: Yellow Hairy Caterpiller

10. Yellow hairy caterpillar: Psalis pennatula (Lymantriidae: Lepidoptera)

Distribution and status: Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and South India.

Host range: Rice, grasses, wheat

Damage symptoms: Caterpillar causes defoliation

Bionomics: The caterpillar is yellowish brown with red stripes and has an orange head. Tufts of hairs are present all over
the body of which two in the anterior and one in the posterior region are prominent. It pupates in a pale white cocoon of
silk and frass attached to the leaf and the adult moth is stout with straw coloured forewings. It lays eggs in masses of
upto 57 eggs on leaves. The egg period is 10-11 days. The larval period lasts for 25-35 days.
 PESTS OF RICE (BORERS AND FOLIAGE FEEDERS) :: Minor Pests :: Grasshopper

11. Grasshopper: Hieroglyphus banian (Acrididae: Orthoptera)

Damage symptoms: The nymphs and adults cause enormous loss to the crop by
chewing and cutting various plant portion viz., leaves, flowers and grains. They
completely defoliate the plants leaving only the mid ribs and the plant growth is affected.

Bionomics: Adults are green, larger with transverse black lines on pronotum. It lays
eggs in soil at a depth of 5 cm. Nymphal period is from 2.5 - 3.5 months

Management
o Expose the eggs to be picked up by birds after ploughing and trimming the bunds
o Egg parasitoids Cacallus spp., Barycomus spp. and Seelio spp., should be encouraged.
o Dust the crop with 5-10% BHC (or) methyl parathion 2% or lindane 2 D 25-30 kg/ha (or) malathion 5 D 20 kg/ha
o Spray dichlorvos 76 EC 500 ml/ha (or) malathion 50 EC 2.5 lit/ha.

PESTS OF RICE (BORERS AND FOLIAGE FEEDERS) :: Minor Pests :: Short Horned Grasshopper

12. Short horned grasshopper: Oxya nitidula (Acrididae: Orthoptera)

Damage symptoms: Nymphs and adults feed on leaves leaving the stalks and midribs. Irregular feeding on seedlings
and cutting of stem at panicle stage are the symptoms of damage.

Bionomics: Grasshopper is green, smaller with brown band on sides. Eggs are laid in soil which hatch out in June - July
and mature in August - September.

Management: Expose the eggs during summer ploughing so that they are picked up by birds.

PESTS OF RICE (BORERS AND FOLIAGE FEEDERS) :: Minor Pests :: Blue Beetle

13. Blue beetle: Halticia cyanea (Chrysomelidae: Coleoptera)

A medium sized steel blue beetle often found in large numbers on rice but is harmless as it breeds on the common
weed, Ammania sp., found in wetlands.

PESTS OF RICE (BORERS AND FOLIAGE FEEDERS) :: Minor Pests :: Rice Root Weevil - 1

14. Rice root weevil: Echinocnemus oryzae (Curculionidae: Coleoptera)

Damage symptoms: Grubs feed on the roots of rice plants resulting in stunting and non
formation of tillers. Presence of dead plants in large patches is a typical symptom.

Bionomics: The adult weevil is shiny black with oblong body covered with greyish scales. The
female lays eggs in soil near the roots of grasses. The incubation period is 3-4 days. The grub
is creamy white, aquatic and feeds on root hairs. The larval period lasts for 11 months. The grub
over-winters in soil at a depth of 25-30 cm, after September. It pupates during May. The pupal
period is 10-12 days.
 PESTS OF RICE (BORERS AND FOLIAGE FEEDERS) :: Minor Pests :: Rice Root Weevil - 2

15. Rice root weevil: Hydronomidus molitar (Curculionidae: Coleoptera)

Damage symptoms: Yellowing of newly transplanted seedlings and presence of dead plants in large patches.

Bionomics: Adult is shiny black weevils with oblong body covered with greyish scales. Grub is creamy white and
aquatic.

PESTS OF RICE (BORERS AND FOLIAGE FEEDERS) :: Minor Pests :: Rice Root Grub

16. Rice root grub: Arthrodeis sp., (Tenebrionidae: Coleoptera)

Damage symptoms: They feed on roots and cause yellowing and gradual wilting of entire plants.

Bionomics: Black coloured shiny beetle.

PESTS OF RICE (BORERS AND FOLIAGE FEEDERS) :: Integrated Pest Management in Rice

16. Rice root grub: Arthrodeis sp., (Tenebrionidae: Coleoptera)

A. Cultural method
1. Remove / destroy stubbles after harvest and keep the field free from weeds.
2. Trim and plaster the bunds of rice field to expose the eggs of grasshoppers and to eliminate the bug breeding in grasses.
3. Form the bunds narrow and short to reduce the damage by rodents.
4. Use resistant varieties wherever available.
5. Provide effective drainage wherever there is problem of BPH.
6. Clip the tip of seedlings before transplanting to prevent the carry over of egg masses of rice yellow stem borer from
nursery to mainfield.
7. Organise synchronized planting wherever possible.
8. Leave 30 cm rogue space at every 2.5 m to reduce damage by BPH and rodents.
9. Avoid use of excessive nitrogenous fertilizers.
10. Use irrigation water judiciously (Alternative wetting and drying reduce BPH and case worm).
11. Remove the egg masses of stem borer in the main field.

B. Mechanical methods
1. Dig out the rat burrows and destroy the rats and young ones at the beginning of the season.
2. Set up light traps to monitor and control pests.
3. Set up-bow traps to kill rodents.

C. Biological methods
1. Release Trichogramma japonicum twiceon 30 and 37 DAT @ 5 cc/ha/release against stem borer.
2. Release Trichogramma chilonis on 37, 44 and 51 DAT (thrice) @ 5 cc/ha/release against leaf folder.
3. Release of Platygaster oryzae parasitized galls @ 1 per 10 m2 in the mainfield on 10 DAT against gall midge.
4. Set up owl perches to reduce rat damage.

D. Plant products
1. Spray neem seed kernel extract 5% (25 kg/ha), neem oil 3% (15 lit/ha) to control brown planthopper.
2. Spray botanicals viz., NSKE, Vitex negundo (Notchi), Prosopis juliflora and Ipomoea carnea leaf extract 5% to control
earhead bug and black bug.

E. Chemical methods
o In BPH prone area / season avoid use of synthetic pyrethroids, methyl parathion and quinalphos and use recommended
chemical at recommended doses.
o Use insecticides based on ETL.