Rice bugs are the major pest of paddy. Bad smell comes out from the body of this insect.
Systematic position of Rice bugs is given bellow:
i) Phylum : Arthropoda
ii) Sub-phylum : Mandibulata
iii) Class : Insecta
iv) Order : Hemiptera
v) Scientific name : Leptocorisa varicornis.
There are three stages in the life cycle of Rice bugs, those are as follows:
The female rice bugs lays eggs on the upper surface of the leaves in 10-12 rows. After 6-8 days, the eggs hatch into nymphs.
Nymphs are very small but look-like minuscule adult. Wings are absent in the nymph. This stage continues for 17-23 days; after that nymph develops into an adult stage.
This stage of the insect is narrow and stretched out. It is about 15 mm in length. The body is light green in color with two pairs of wings. One pair of fine antenna is present on the anterior end of the body. Adult is very active during the morning and in the evening. The adult Rice Bugs may remain alive for five months. The life-cycle of this insect is completed by 4 to 5 weeks.
It has been practically observed that both the nymphal as well as adult stage of Rice bugs are causing damage to the paddy plant.
In the early young stage of the paddy plant, there is a formation of white milky fluid in each grain of the ear head. During this period, both the nymph and adult suck this milk from the grains by their sucking mouth. As a result, there will be no formation of rice grain or partial formation of rice grain. In this way, they damage the paddy plant in the field.
By their bad smell presence of Rice Bugs in the paddy field can be identified. The attacking grains remain erect instead of dropping. Attacking plants in the paddy field can be absolutely detected by these two symptoms.
The Rice Bugs are distributed throughout the rice growing areas. In the forests as well as in wild grasses, this pest breed heavily and so large number of Rice bug both adult and nymph attack the surrounding paddy field during the milk stage of the paddy grains.
The control measure of the insects Rice Bugs are as follows:
Adult and nymph of the Rice bug can be collected from the paddy field by small hand net and they are then destroyed. Light trap can be set up surrounding the paddy field and the insect pest is attracted and died subsequently.
Insecticides like 10% BHC are applied by duster in the affected paddy field and its surrounding area. Generally per acre 12 kg of 10% BHC dusting is applied which gives a good result.
The insect like the Tiger beetle uses Rice bug as their food material. Hence if tiger beetle is released in this attacking paddy field then the Rice bugs can be controlled to some level.
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