Rice Stalk Borer, Chilo plejedellus (Zink)

The rice stalk borer is a sporadic pest of rice in Louisiana. Larvae have two pairs of stripes running the length of the body and a black head capsule.

Emerging from eggs, the larvae feed briefly on the inside of the leaf sheath, and then bore into the stem.

They feed inside the stem for about one month before chewing an exit hole in the stem and pupating in a silken web.

Click on the links above to go to the Rice Stalk Borer home page or the Rice Insects Photo Galleries home page.