BLACK BUG & RICE

1. BLACK BUG (SCOTINOPHARA LURIDA):
EMERGING THREAT TO RICE CULTIVATION IN SRI
LANKA
S.R. SARATHCHANDRA1
, R.M.U.S. BANDARA1
, S.N.
CHANDRASENA2
, A.P. BENTOTA1
, R.S.K. KEERTHISENA1
, L.
NUGALIYADDA3
, U.C. KAHAWATHTHA1
, K.M.A.S. KONARA1
,
W.M.D.R.B. RATHNAYAKA1
AND R.D.P.D. HARISCHANDRA1
1
Rice Research and Development Institute, Batalagoda, Ibbagamuwa, Sri Lanka
2
Regional Rice Research and Development Centre, Bombuwela, Sri Lanka
3
Formerly, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, Mapalana, Sri Lanka

2. INTRODUCTION:
Rice is the staple food for more than 60 percent of the global
population and ravaged by various pest problems starting
from its seedling stage to maturity.
Rice black bug (RBB), (Hemiptera : Pentatomidae), is considered
an economically important pest of rice in some South and
Southeast Asian countries (Pathak and Khan 1994).
The two most common species of black bugs attacking rice
plants are the Malayan rice black bug Scotinophara coarctata
(Fabricius) and the Japanese rice black bug Scotinophara
lurida (Burmeister).
Scotinophara coarctata is an important pest of rice in Cambodia,
China (including Taiwan), India, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Scotinophara lurida occurs
in China (including Taiwan), India, Japan and Sri Lanka.

3. Black bug is common in rainfed and irrigated wetland environment during
the vegetative and reproductive stages of the rice crop.
It prefers continuously cropped irrigated rice areas, poorly drained fields
and more nitrogen applied plots. Feeding damage resulted in half-filled
and empty grains (Cuaterno 2007).
In Sri Lanka S. lurida has been an insect of interest before the 1960s (Alwis
1941; Joachim 1951-56; Rhind 1951; Fernando 1959a, b, 1960a).
With the reporting of S. lurida in the districts of Matara, Kalutara and
Hambantota in the Southern province, in addition to the districts of
Kurunegala (Northwestern province) and Gampaha (Western province),
subsequently became an economically important pest through the
1940s-60s (Alwis 1941).In the 1970s and 1980s, it was not considered as
an economically important pest (Wickramasinghe 1980, Nugaliyadde et
al 2003) and less attention was given.
After 2-3 decades a sudden increase of black bug was reported in
Wanathawilluwa area (Puthlam district, Northwestern Province) at
2016/17 Maha season.
Hence, the present study was done to review the damage of the rice black
bug in the Wanathawilluwa and selected 06 major rice growing areas in
Sri Lanka.

4. Adult Black Bug

5. Adult Black Bug with egg masses

6. Black bug damage

7. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Samples were collected from 18 locations in the Wanathawilluwa area
during Maha 2016/2017 season.
Damage severity assessment was done by counting the black bug
damaged seeds of the randomly selected 10 panicles taken from
each location.
Occurrence of the black bug damage in selected major rice growing
areas namely Polonnaruwa, Mahaweli System B, Kurunegala,
Gampaha, Hambantota and Monaragala were done by conducting a
survey using a structured questionnaire during Maha 2016/2017
season.
472 paddy farmers were selected for the survey study as 51 farmers in
Polonnaruwa, 74 farmers in Mahaweli System B, 90 farmers in
Kurunegala, 98 farmers in Gampaha, 86 farmers in Hambantota and
73 farmers in Moneralaga.
Percentage Damage Occurrence was calculated using the formula;
Percentage Damage Incidences= (Number of farmers experienced
Black bug damage)/ Number of farmers interviewed) x100.

8. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:
Percentage Black Bug Damage Incidences in different selected areas

9. The highest Percentage Damage Incidences was
recorded in Hambantota district wheareas the
lowest recorded in Polonnaruwa district.
Results revealed that in every selected area
more than 5% of black bug damage incidences
were recorded during Maha 2016/2017.
Hambantota, Mahaweli System B and
Kurunegala areas more than 10% of damage
incidences were found. That is an an alarming
situation for paddy cultivation in the area.

10. Percentage Damage Severity over different sampling locations in Wanathawilluwa area

11. The percentage damage severity of black bug
was recorded to be more than 10% in every
infested locations in Wanathwilluwa area.
This is an alarming situation for paddy
cultivation.

12. CONCLUSION:
The highest Percentage Damage Incidences was recorded in
Hambantota district wheareas the lowest recorded in
Polonnaruwa district.
Results revealed that in every selected area more than 5% of
black bug damage incidences were recorded during Maha
2016/2017. Hambantota, Mahaweli System B and
Kurunegala areas more than 10% of damage incidences
were found.
Percentage damage severity of black bug was recorded to be
more than 10% in every infested location in
Wanathwilluwa area. This is an alarming situation for
paddy cultivation. This pest will be a major pest in rice if we
do not monitor their population under economic threshold
level.
Further details studies on this pest needed to be conducted.

13. REFERENCES:
Alwis .E.De.1941.The paddy pentatomid bug, Scotinophara ( Podops)
luridaBurn.TropAgri .96:217-220
Cuaterno,W.R.2007.Current Status of Rice Black Bug and its Management in
the Philippines.In: Rice black bug ( Ravindra,C.Joshi,Alberto T. Barrion and
LeocadioS.Sebastian.eds),Phil Rice , Philippines.653-660 PP.
Fernando ,H.E .1959a.Insect and other pests of rice in Ceylon.In :
International Rice Commission ( IRC).Working Party on rice Production
and protection .Paper no .24.IRC,Ceylon .
Fernando.H.E.1959b.Susceptibility of rice pentatomid bug
,Scotinopharalurida Burm .(Fam .Pentatomidae,Ord.Hemiptera) to
insecticides and the insecticidal control of this pest in Ceylon.In :
International Rice Commission ( IRC). Working party on rice production
and protection .Paper no .25.IRC,Ceylon.
Fernando.H.E.1960a.A biological and ecological study of the rice pentatomid
bug ,Scotinopharalurida (Burm.) in Ceylon .Bull.Entomol.Res.51:559-576
Joachim.A.W.R.1951 Administration report of the Director of Agriculture for
1950.Part IV(Education ,Science and Art).Ceylon Government Press
,Colombo.

14. Thank You