Rice Water Weevil vs Kenyan Stick Insect
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Rice Water Weevil | Kenyan Stick Insect |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus | Bactrododema tiaratum |
| Order | Coleoptera | Phasmatodea |
| Family | Curculionidae | Phasmatidae |
| Size | 2.5-3.5 mm | 100-170 mm (females); 70-100 mm (males) |
| Habitat | Wetlands | Woodlands |
| Diet | Herbivores | Herbivores |
| Regions | South Asia (India, Sri Lanka; invasive pest spreading across Asian rice-growing regions) | East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Rice Water Weevil
A small, grey-brown weevil that feeds on rice roots as a larva and on rice leaves as an adult. Adults create distinctive narrow feeding scars along the surface of rice leaves parallel to the leaf veins.
Did You Know?
Larvae feed underwater on rice roots, surviving by obtaining oxygen from the rice plant's aerenchyma tissue through specialized spiracles.
Kenyan Stick Insect
A large, robust stick insect with a spiny, bark-like body and short wings. Males are much smaller and more slender than the bulky females.
Did You Know?
Females can reproduce parthenogenetically, producing viable eggs without mating, though offspring are all female.