Leptocorisa acuta (Thunberg)

Taxonomic position

Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Alydidae

Common names

Rice earhead bug, paddy bug

Habitat / Crop(s) damaged

Rice, wheat, sugarcane, maize, millets, bajra, etc. Flowering rice is the preferred host.

The pest immigrates in the crop in the flowering stage and feeds on the milky grains and on the sap of the peduncle and leaves. Yellow spots appear on the leaves due to excessive sucking. The empty grains turn whitish and show a puncture mark. The characteristic damage is called chaffy grains. Infestation is severe in irrigated and heavy rainfall areas.

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