Rice sucking bugs

Stink bugs produce a strong odour when disturbed. Adult Aspavia bugs are brown bugs with a large triangular shield on the back having three yellow spots and a spine at each side of the thorax. Nezera viridula is green and about 1.2 cm long. Alydid bugs have a long slender body and lack a triangular shield on the back. Riptortus is stout and varies from light to dark brown; the hind legs are enlarged.

Both nymphs and adult bugs feed sucking rice grains in the milky stage. When grains have ripened the bugs feed on panicle stalks and pedicels. Riptortus bugs also feed on hard dough rice grains. Bug feeding causes pecky rice that is partially or wholly stained due to infections with bacteria and fungi. The glumes change colour first to light brown, then darker and may turn grey in severe cases. Damage grains are shrivelled and unfilled. Severity of the damage depends on the stage of grain development and on the number of punctures in the grain.