Rice Water Weevil vs Pink Wax Scale Whitefly
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Rice Water Weevil | Pink Wax Scale Whitefly |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus | Aleurocanthus woglumi |
| Order | Coleoptera | Hemiptera |
| Family | Curculionidae | Aleyrodidae |
| Size | 2.5-3.5 mm | 1-1.5 mm |
| Habitat | Wetlands | Orchards |
| Diet | Herbivores | Herbivores |
| Regions | South Asia (India, Sri Lanka; invasive pest spreading across Asian rice-growing regions) | Asia (native), Americas, Africa (invasive) |
| 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.
Pink Wax Scale Whitefly
Known as the citrus blackfly, this whitefly has dark sooty-colored pupae that distinguish it from other whitefly species. Heavy infestations coat leaves in thick black sooty mold.
Did You Know?
It was successfully controlled in many countries using the parasitoid wasp Amitus hesperidum, one of the classic triumphs of biological pest control.