''Leptocorisa oratoria'', the rice ear bug, is an insect from the family

Alydidae Alydidae, commonly known as broad-headed bugs, is a family of true bugs very similar to the closely related Coreidae (leaf-footed bugs and relatives). There are at least 60 genera and 300 species altogether. Distributed in the temperate and warme ...

, the broad-headed bugs. This species is commonly confused with ''

Leptocorisa acuta ''Leptocorisa acuta'',Thunberg CP (1783) ''Dissertatio entomologica novas insectorum species, sistens, cujus partem secundum, Edman, Upsaliae'' 2: 29-52. the paddy earhead bug, is a species of bug recorded from northern Australia, Malesia and Ta ...

'',Rice earhead bug, ''Leptocorisa acuta''
/ref> and other similar, related " rice bug" genera and species.

Description

It has a slender body, around 2 cm in length, with long legs and a long

proboscis A proboscis () is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In invertebrates, the term usually refers to tubular mouthparts used for feeding and sucking. In vertebrates, a proboscis is an elong ...

. It is yellow-brown in color.

Behaviour

When disturbed, the bug gives off an unpleasant smell in defense. Females lay around 100–200 eggs on the leaves of the rice plant (''

Oryza sativa ''Oryza sativa'', commonly known as Asian rice or indica rice, is the plant species most commonly referred to in English as ''rice''. It is the type of farmed rice whose cultivars are most common globally, and was first domesticated in the Yan ...

''). The eggs hatch into green-colored nymphs, which gradually turn brown as they grow into adults. However, these bugs can sometimes be seen feeding on other plants.

Pest status

Rice bugs can be a significant pest to the

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...

plant, as they feed-on the developing rice ears: reducing crop quality and sometimes yield. Because attacks occur near to harvest, if farmers spray

insecticide Insecticides are substances used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and by consumers. Insecticides are claimed to b ...

s in an attempt to control outbreaks, they risk leaving harmful

pesticide residue Pesticide residue refers to the pesticides that may remain on or in food after they are applied to food crops. The maximum allowable levels of these residues in foods are often stipulated by regulatory bodies in many countries. Regulations such as ...

s on the crop.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q13111923 Alydidae Insects described in 1764 Hemiptera of Asia Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius