Pheromone Chemicals

(Paddy White Stem Borer) -The White Stem Borer (Walker) is a very important pest of rice. The moth resembles on forewing. The upper side of forewing is pale ochreous or white in both sexes, without any markings; Labial palpi is about twice the diameter of eye. Hind wings are with the frenulum spine double in female. Anal tufts whitish in female. Hind wings are white in colour. The larva is also white in colour. Scirpophaga innotata is a monophagous pest.

Life cycle :

Eggs are laid in clusters of 70-260, usually on the underside of young leaves and covered with a tuft of hairs from the female’s abdominal tip. Incubation period is 4-9 days.
The Caterpillars are a dirty white color. The young larva penetrates the leaf sheath and goes down into the stem. It is milky white and grows to a length of 25mm. The larval period varies from 19- 31 days.
Pupae are soft bodied, pale and whiter than YSB pupae. Pupal period is completed in 7-11 days.

Host plants :

Mainly a pest of Paddy.

Damage :

Newly hatched larvae bore inside the young rice plant, travelling downward between the leaf sheaths and causing death of the young tip (dead hearts) in the vegetative stage, and empty panicles (white heads) in the generative stage. First-instar larvae may use silken threads to move to other plants.