Summary

Widespread distribution. Asia, Central America, Oceania. On rice and grasses. An important pest.
Egg laid on the midribs of leaves, nymphs like adults, but wingless. Adults 15 mm, brown, white underneath, narrow.
Contents of seed sucked out when still soft, becoming shrivelled and small.
Natural enemies: wasp parasitoids.
Cultural control: weed within and around fields; avoid overlapping crops; in small plots, sweep to catch bugs (morning and evening); burn grass on bunds and around fields after harvest.
Chemical control: synthetic pyrethroids, but will kill natural enemies.

Common Name

Rice seed bug, rice bug, rice earhead bug

Scientific Name

Leptocorisa acuta. Note, there is a related species, Leptocorisa oratorius, but research in Indonesia concluded that the loss due to the pest was minimal.

AUTHOR Grahame Jackson
¹International Rice Research Institute, Philippines. Infomation from Catindig J (Undated) Rice bug. Rice Knowledge Bank. IRRI; and from Serrano AC, et al. (2014) Featured Creatures: Rice bug. UF/IFAS, University of Florida. (http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/field/Leptocorisa_acuta.htm). Photos 1&2. Rhode BF, Crosby TK (2013) Rice Bug (Leptocorisa acuta). PaDIL - (https://www.padil.gov.au).

Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project PC/2010/090: Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

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