Three

Insect Pests
of
Rice
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Three Insect Pests of Rice
Introduction
India has largest area of 44.3
million ha under rice cultivation
and stands second in production
around 89.09 million t.
Yield loss due to insect pests in
rice in India is estimated to the
tune of 25%.
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Three Insect Pests of Rice
There are over 800 insect species
damaging rice in one way or another
but in tropical Asia only about 20
species are of major importance and
of regular occurrence.
Caseworm, Swarming caterpillar
and Grasshoppers are important
pests of rice.
Introduction
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Three Insect Pests of Rice
Caseworm
Swarming Caterpillar
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picture
Rice Grasshopper
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Three Insect Pests of Rice
Caseworm
Nymphula depunctalis
Caseworm adult
Source: knowledgebank.irri.org

Identification
Caseworm adults are small sized
delicate moths with white wings
and pale brown spots.
Larvae are semi-aquatic and
possess six rows of gills on
the dorsal side of the body.
Larva
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Three Insect Pests of Rice
The larva encloses itself within
tubular case made by cutting
pieces of leaf blade and thus leaf
tips have cut ends (Fig.).
Enclosed within the case, the
larva attaches itself to the rice
plant and feeds on the leaves.
The cases are also seen
floating in water.
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Caseworm
Nymphula depunctalis
Identification
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Three Insect Pests of Rice
Caseworm is commonly found in
irrigated and rain fed wetland rice
fields with poor drainage.
Transplanting young seedlings
favor the incidence of caseworm
larva.
Caseworm
Nymphula depunctalis
Identification
Floating leaf cases
Source: knowledgebank.irri.org
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Three Insect Pests of Rice
caseworm occurs regularly in low
populations but sporadic outbreaks
result in intense defoliation of plants
causing severe loss in early vegetative
stage.
Larvae damage the crop by
scrapping leaf tissue, leaving
only the papery upper epidermis.
Caseworm
Nymphula depunctalis
Nature of damage
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Three Insect Pests of Rice
The larva scrapes the green
tissue of the leaf with only the
white epidermis remaining.
The white epidermis appears
ladder-like because of the back
and forth motions of the larval
head during feeding.
Caseworm
Nymphula depunctalis
Nature of damage
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Three Insect Pests of Rice
Feeding damage includes cutting
of leaf tips to make leaf cases.
The damage may result in
patches of severe defoliation,
stunted growth and death of
plants.
Caseworm
Nymphula depunctalis
Nature of damage
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The rice plants can recover
from the damage if there are
no other defoliators present.
However, maturity may be
delayed for 7 to 10 days.
Three Insect Pests of Rice
Following cultural practices can
minimize the damage.
Draining the field
Caseworm
Nymphula depunctalis
Management
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Planting older seedlings
Wider spacing (30 x 20 mm)
Early planting
Correct application of fertilizers.
Three Insect Pests of Rice
Among the biological agents:
Snails are useful predators of
eggs of the rice caseworm.
Caseworm
Nymphula depunctalis
Management
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Spiders, dragonflies, and birds
eat the adults.
There is a nuclear polyhedrosis
virus, which is a potential control
agent against the rice caseworm.
Three Insect Pests of Rice
The larvae are highly sensitive to
insecticides.
The use of foliar treatments
of carbamate insecticides
can control the insect pest.
Caseworm
Nymphula depunctalis
Management
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Pyrethroids should be avoided
as they can cause secondary
problems, such as brown
planthoppers.
Three Insect Pests of Rice

Rice grasshopper
Identification
Several species of grasshopper
infest the rice crop but Hieroglyphus
is the most important one.
Adults are greenish hopping
insects (Fig.) creating sound
through their movements in the
crop.
Nymphs resemble adults
except that they lack wings.
Rice Grasshopper
Hieroglyphus banian
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Three Insect Pests of Rice

Nature of damage
Both adult and nymphs feed
on rice foliage.
In severe incidence they
consume the leaves leaving
midribs and stalks (Fig.).
Rice Grasshopper
Hieroglyphus banian
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Three Insect Pests of Rice

Management
Towards the end of crop
season, females lay eggs in
egg pods along the sides of
bunds surrounding the field.
Eggs hatch in 2 to 3 weeks
after the onset of monsoon.
There will be only one
generation in a year .
Rice Grasshopper
Hieroglyphus banian
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Raking of field bunds during
summer to destroy the egg
pods is an extremely important
for grasshopper management .
Three Insect Pests of Rice

Identification
Adult is a medium sized, stout,
grey-brown moth with black
spots on forewings while its hind
wings are whitish brown.
Swarming Caterpillar
Spodoptera mauritia
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Adult moth
Three Insect Pests of Rice

Identification
Larvae are stout dirty whitish
brown and more than one can
be seen at the bases of plants
during day time.
Swarming Caterpillar
Spodoptera mauritia
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Larvae
Female moth lays eggs in
clusters on rice and wild
grasses and covers them
with grayish hairs.
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Three Insect Pests of Rice

Nature of Damage
Larvae damage the crop. In
the nursery the seedlings are
cut and completely eaten up
(Fig.) as if grazed by cattle.
Swarming Caterpillar
Spodoptera mauritia
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In the main field, they denude
the plants of their foliage
leaving behind midribs.
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Incidence of this pest has
been found to be more after
heavy rains or after floods.
Three Insect Pests of Rice

Management
Add kerosene to irrigation
water to suffocate the larvae.
Swarming Caterpillar
Spodoptera mauritia
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Allow the ducks in the nursery
to pick up the larvae and eat.
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Spray chloro pyriphos 20 EC or
endosulfan 35 EC 80 ml+ 20 l of
water in 80 cents


Drain the water
Add kerosene to irrigation water to
suffocate the larva
Allow the ducks in the nursery.
Spray chloro pyriphos 20EC or endosulfan
35 EC 80 ml+ 20 l of water in 80 cents
Nature of damage
Swarming Caterpillar (Sc. N.Spodoptera mauritia) Swarming Caterpillar (Sc. N.Spodoptera mauritia)
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