Rice Stink Bug (Oebalus pugnax)

Rice stink bugs (Oebalus pugnax) are the most important insect pest of headed rice in Louisiana. The adults are a shiny golden brown. Like other stink bugs, they emit an odor when disturbed. After mating, the female stink bug lays eggs -- usually in two rows. The eggs are cylindrical and grayish when first laid. Their color changes to jnearly black just before hatching. Eggs are laid on the leaves of grasses in or around rice fields and rice plants. After hatching the first instar nymphs remain congregated around the egg cases. Second instar nymphs move about feeding with their piercing sucking mouthparts.

Rice stink bug nymphs are wingless. The rear half of the body is pinkish and has a row of dots down the center. When they feed on rice from flowering to milk, they reduce yields. If they feed on grain in the soft to hard dough stages, they cause "pecky" rice. The rice stink bug is easily distinguished from brown stink bugs by their golden color and narrower body. The spines on the shoulders of rice stink bugs are also more pronounced.