Rice Pest Pheno - Forecasting
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The adults are dull grey flies. The eggs are laid singly on either surface of the leaves.
They are cylindrical, whitish in colour. The freshly hatched larvae are transparent to light cream coloured, but turn yellowish after they start feeding.
The hatching maggots migrate to the unopened central leaves where the entire larval period is completed.
The full-grown larva is cylindrical with the posterior end tapering to a pair of pointed spiracles.
The full-grown maggots pupate outside the feeding stalk. Total life cycle takes about a month.
The maggots feed on the inner margins of the unfurled leaves. The newly hatched larvae migrate to the central whorl and feed on the mesophyll tissue. Damage is characterised by small, chewed-up, discoloured areas on the innermost margin of the central whorl. These areas eventually dry up and damaged leaves usually droop. Severely damaged fields show discoloured, constricted leaves Heavy infestation causes a marked stunting of the plant, fewer tillers, and delayed panicle initiation and maturity.
When damage is high, remove the standing water from the field.
When the incidence is high, spray the following insecticides:
Chlorpyrophos 20 EC @ 600 ml per acre.
Quinalphos 25 EC @ 800 ml per acre.
