Rice Leaf Folder

Symptom

Before feeding, larvae fold the leaves longitudinally by stitching the leaf margins. Individual spun threads fuse to form a band: the desiccation of the band facilitates contraction of silk stitches, hence, the leaf rolls. Once protected, the larvae scrape and feed on the green tissues (the mesophyll layer) of the rice leaves, resulting in the appearance of linear, pale-white stripe damage. The rice leaves are folded and turn whitish due to the loss of green tissue. In severe infestation, damaged plants appear sickly and scorched.