Specimen 1
IDENTIFYING FEATURES
- Adults have wings covered in tiny scales. Scales are specially modified flattened hairs.
- Body is divided into 3 sections: Head, thorax & abdomen.
- 4 wings,6 legs are attached to thorax.
- Head bears antenna.
- Proboscis is a specialized tube formed by modification of the mouthparts.
- Wings consist of an upper & lower membrane supported by a system of hollow veins.
- Larvae moult several times, usually 4,5,6 depending upon the species.
- Hence the specimen belongs to the Order: Lepidoptera
- Adult moth is 1.0-1.5 cm in length & the wing expanse is 2.5-4.5cm
- Antennae are short & feathery.
- Wings are ocherous yellow in colour.
- Hind legs are white in colour.
- Each of forewings bears a prominent black spot(in female)
- Tip of the abdomen has a tuft of buff coloured hair.(In female)
-Hence the specimen seems to be Scirpophaga incertulus
Systematic position: (Ruppert & Barnes, 1994)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Sub Class: Pterygota
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Pyraloidea
Family: Crambidae
Genus: Scirpophaga
Economic importance:
Scirpophaga incertulus, commonly known as the rice yellow stem borer, is one of the most economically important pests in rice-growing regions across Asia.
It causes significant yield losses, sometimes up to 95% in outbreak years.
Annual economic losses are estimated at over US$400 million due to this pest.
The pest damages rice plants at all growth stages, damaged directly, leading to symptoms like dead heart and white earhead or white head. It reduce filled grain number, grain weight,& quality, leading to significant decline in harvests.
Due to its chronic nature & widespread impact, effective management is essential for maintaining rice yields and farmer income.
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