Water Spinach Flea Beetle vs Rice Water Weevil
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Water Spinach Flea Beetle | Rice Water Weevil |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chaetocnema basalis | Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus |
| Order | Coleoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Chrysomelidae | Curculionidae |
| Size | 1.5-2 mm | 2.5-3.5 mm |
| Habitat | Wetlands | Wetlands |
| Diet | Seed Feeders | Herbivores |
| Regions | South and Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands | South Asia (India, Sri Lanka; invasive pest spreading across Asian rice-growing regions) |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Water Spinach Flea Beetle
A tiny, shiny dark bronze to black flea beetle that is a significant pest of rice seedlings and water spinach across tropical Asia. Its shot-hole feeding weakens young plants.
Did You Know?
Despite its minute size, this beetle can cause devastating damage to rice nurseries when it attacks seedlings at the one-leaf stage.
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.