Directorate of Rice Research, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-500 030, India.
The rice whorl maggot Hydrellia spp. is a pest of rice mainly in irrigated ecosystem. It causes 20–30% yield loss on the first crop during April–September but the infestation was less in the second crop. The taxonomic characters and host plants of Hydrellia spp. viz., Hydrellia philippina, Hydrellia sasakii and Hydrellia griseola were described. The adult insects prefer places with abundant calm water and less vegetation. Eggs to adult period is normally 25–28 days. The maggots of the fly feed on unopened leaves and nibbles the inner margins. Conspicuous linear feeding lesions are visible when the central leaf opens. Hydrellia philippina is a multivoltine species with overlapping generations under field conditions. The bionomics and management of rice whorl maggot have been reviewed.
