Location of Parts of Rice Plants Sucked by Green Rice Leafhopper, Nephotettix cincticeps UHLER (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

Abstract

Parts sucked by nymphs and adults of Nephotettix cincticeps were investigated using feeding marks on potted rice plants placed in a screen cage at four growth stages. Rice plants under natural infestation in paddy field were sampled at the corresponding stages and were examined for feeding marks. These results correlated fairly well with each other. Main parts sucked in rice plants moved upwards as the developmental stages of the insects progressed: younger instar nymphs were found on leaf sheaths in lower parts, mid-instar nymphs on leaf blades in intermediate parts, and late instar nymphs and adults on leaf blades in upper parts. However, few feeding marks were found on rachises and primary or secondary branches of panicles. There were hardly any feeding marks on the surface of paddy. The parts sucked moved upwards to some extent as the rice plants came close to maturity. Thus, the sucked parts were scattered all over the leaf blades on the stem without being concentrated on a fixed part of rice plants. As the leaf-hopper seldom attacked the panicles, no conspicuous decrease in yield was recorded.