Department of Entomology, AC&RI, Killikulam - 628 252, Tamil Nadu, India
*Present address: Directorate of Rice Research, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad - 500 030, Andhra Pradesh, India. E mail: ento_sam@yahoo.co.in
Online published on 5 June, 2014.
Systematic surveys were carried out on species diversity in rice stem borers across all the seven agro climatic zones of Tamil Nadu, during 2008 - 2009. Three stem borers species viz., Yellow stem borer (YSB), Scirpophaga incertulas, Pink stem borer (PSB), Sesamia inferens and Dark headed borer (DHB) Chilo polychrysus in all the regions except, in the Hilly Zone where YSB was the only species present. Though YSB, was recorded dominant in most of the regions, the PSB and DHB also showed noticeable increase in their proportions.
Yellow stem borer, pink stem borer, dark headed borer, species complex, species shift
