Biology and pest status of the white rice stemborer Scirpophaga innotata (Walker) (Lepidoptera:Pyralidae) in Southern Mindanao

Issue Date

4-2004

Abstract

The white rice stemborer (WSB) Scirpophaga innotata (Walker) replaced the yellow rice stemborer (YSB) S. incertulas (Walker) in the mid 1980s in southern Mindanao, as the most dominant among five stemborer species. Life history studies on WSB revealed that generation time (egg to egg) averaged 6-7 weeks in nondiapause conditions. During the day, moths preferred rice fields to weedy border areas. fecundity (number of eggs laid) increased if females received honey sustenance, ranging from 100 to 200 eggs per female. Females lay four eggs masses on average with a mean of 71 eggs per mass (range 1-244). Oviposition peak occurred five weeks after rice transplanting. Damage progressed with the growth of the crop, with whiteheads (3.1%) averaging more than deadhearts (< 2%). Damage levels were moderate overall and the yield loss caused by insect pests was greatest at the vegetative stage when WSB was least abundant, thus WSB had a lesser impact than the other insect pests. WSB is a chronic pest in southern Mindanao and has not achieved outbreak status that it has in northern Mindanao or Java, Indonesia.

Source or Periodical Title

Philippine Entomologist

ISSN

0048-3753

Volume

18

Issue

1

Page

1-15

Document Type

Article

Frequency

semi-annually

Physical Description

tables; graphs

Language

English

En – AGROVOC descriptors

SCIRPOPHAGA; SCIRPOPHAGA INCERTULAS; LEPIDOPTERA; PYRALIDAE; PEST INSECTS; LIFE CYCLE; POPULATION ECOLOGY; TAXONOMY; PHILIPPINES

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