Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #341437
Research Project: Systematics of Hemiptera and Related Groups: Plant Pests, Predators and Disease Vectors

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Title: Outbreak of Tagosodes orizicolus (Muir) in Texas rice

Author
item WAY, M. - Texas A&M Agricultural Experiment Station
item VYAVHARE, S. - Texas A&M Agricultural Experiment Station
item MOCK, C. - Non ARS Employee
item MOCK, W. - Non ARS Employee
item METZ, KIRA - Texas State University
item McKamey, Stuart
item PORTER, P. - Texas A&M University

Submitted to: Southwest Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/3/2016
Publication Date: 9/1/2016
Citation: Way, M.O., Vyavhare, S.S., Mock, C., Mock, W., Metz, K., Mckamey, S.H., Porter, P. 2016. Outbreak of Tagosodes orizicolus (Muir) in Texas rice. Southwest Entomology. 41(3):871-873.

Interpretive Summary: Planthoppers cause millions of dollars of damage to agricultural crops each year. One of the most troublseome pests of rice is a planthopper that causes hopper burn and is a vector of a viral disease hoja blanca, that can reduce rice yields by 50%. It is mostly in the American tropics, has been reported in the USA 65 years ago but never established. This paper reports it for the first time in Texas, where it is superabundant in rice fields in four counties. If the insect is able to flourish in the weather and farming conditions in the US, it could pose a substantial threat to rice production in the southern US. The discovery will aid extension and other and governmental agencies such as APHIS with baseline information on distribution and biology on this new pest of rice.

Technical Abstract: The rice planthopper, Tagosodes orizicolus, is reported for the first time in Texas, where it is superabundant in rice fields in four counties (Brazoria, Colorado, Harris, and Wharton). The species is a known vector of the viral disease hoja blanca, which can reduce yields up to 50%, and hopper burn though feeding and ovispoition. If the insect is able to flourish in the weather and farming conditions in the US, it could pose a substantial threat to rice production in the southern US. Research and crop monitoring is needed to determine local hosts and their influence on abundance, and of vector potential.