Oviposition of Sorghum Plant Bug, Stenotus rubrovittatus (Matsumura) (Heteroptera: Miridae) on Rice Plants

To determine the possibility of Stenotus rubrovittatus nymphs occurring on rice plants, oviposition on rice ears was investigated. A pair of adults was released on a caged ear at three rice stages: at heading, at 7 or 8 days and at 14 days after heading, and left on the ear for 3 days. Eggs were laid in normal glumes and in Hakufu (dead, white glumes), but eggs in normal glumes were observed only at heading. On release of adults at heading, the percentage of oviposited ears was 50.0-58.3% and the average number of eggs laid in each ear was 8.7-13.8. Very few hatchlings emerged from glumes at any of the stages. These results suggest that nymph numbers in rice fields are low because few hatchlings emerge.