Home > Crops & Livestock > Crops > Rice > Rice Field Notes Field Notes is a weekly newsletter published during the rice growing season reporting observations and providing production information to subscribers. It utilizes photographs as a foundation for discussion and to illustrate various aspects of rice production on a broad range of topics from fertilization to pest management. Thrips [Image: thrips1] Both larvae and adults feed on young rice plants. Thrips injure plants by using a scraping mouth part to tear the leaf tissue, and then extract the plant liquids. This injury causes desiccation and is typically not a problem, except during dry, windy conditions. Aphids [Image: aphid1] Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects with piercing sucking mouthparts. Aphids suck the juices from rice and cause stunting and chlorosis. Southern Green Stink Bug [Image: sgsb1] The southern green stink bug has piercing-sucking mouth parts. Usually it is first noticed as dead or dying leaves on isolated plants or groups of plants.  more articles... Rice Seed Midge [Image: rsm damage] Rice seed midge larvae feed on the embryo of germinating seeds or the developing roots of young seedlings. South American Rice Miner [Image: sarm larva] South American rice miner maggot injures rice, causing large, elongated lesions on the margins of emerging leaves. Smaller Rice Leafminer [Image: rlm injury] Larvae tunnel between the layers of the leaf, attacking and killing leaves closest to the water. Panicle Rice Mite [Image: prm in stem] The panicle rice mite injures rice plants both directly by feeding on cells of rice leaves, stems and kernels and indirectly by vectoring and/or facilitating the establishment of pathogens. Billbugs [Image: Billbug adult] Billbugs injure multiple crops such as corn, sugarcane, wheat, rye and barley. Occasionally, it can be found in rice. Fall Armyworm [Image: faw larva ] Fall armyworm larvae feed on the leaves of young rice plants, destroying large amounts of tissue. European Corn Borer [Image: ecb larva] European Corn borer has the potential for severe infestations in rice in central and northern latitudes of Louisiana. Rice Stalk Borer [Image: rsb larva] Rice stalk borer is a sporadic pest of rice in Louisiana. Mexican Rice Borer [Image: mrb larva] The Mexican rice borer is a devastating pest of sugarcane and a serious pest of rice. Sugarcane Borer [Image: scb larva] Sugarcane borer injury to rice results from stem borer larvae feeding on plant tissue as they tunnel inside the stem. Click for more information...