The autumn migration of the rice leaf roller moth, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis Guenée, in eastern China was studied at two sites (one in southern Jiangsu Province and one in northern Jiangxi Province), using radar and aerial netting. It was confirmed that C. medinalis is a high-altitude nocturnal windborne migrant, with large numbers of moths taking-off at dusk and flying continuously for several hours. Migration was post-teneral and the females had immature ovaries. Maximum densities of the moths typically occurred between 250 and 550 m above ground, and layering was intense on some nights. Moth layers often occurred at an altitude where there was a wind-speed maximum. In early September, migrant C. medinalis from southern Jiangsu Province were carried on the winds in an approximately westward direction. However, the winds prevailing in late September and October took migrants from both sites towards the south-west or south. Forward trajectories for C. medinalis and other insects emigrating from northern Jiangxi during October indicated that they were able to reach the tropical rice-growing areas near the south China coast, where year-round breeding would be possible. Incidental observations on the migratory flight of other lepidopteran pests, including Mythimna separata (Walker), Spodoptera litura (Fabricius), Ctenoplusia agnata (Staudinger) and Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) (all Nocturidae), Spoladea recurvalis (Fabricius) and particularly Omiodes indicata (Fabricius) (both Pyralidae) are presented.

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The brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) is a serious pest of rice crops in the temperate and tropical regions of Asia and Australia, and it is also a classic example of an insecticide-induced resurgent pest. Brown planthopper outbreaks have been reported to be closely associated with pesticide application. Previous studies have shown that the insecticide triazophos enhances thermal tolerance and fecundity in brown planthopper. However, the effects of triazophos and high temperature on reproductive capacity have not been studied in high temperature-conditioned reciprocal pairs of adult males and females. The present experiments showed that triazophos enhanced the reproductive capacity of brown planthopper under high temperature (34°C). The number of eggs laid by females treated with 40 ppm triazophos at 34°C approximately doubled compared with untreated insects. Furthermore, the triazophos-induced fecundity enhancement at 34°C was significantly greater than that at 26°C, and the number of eggs laid for mating pair of adult males at 34°C with adult females under 34°C (♂(34) × ♀(34)) were significantly greater than that of adult males at 26°C (♂(26) × ♀3(4)), suggesting that this insecticide enhances the resistance of brown planthopper to high-temperature stress. Insecticide-induced enhancement of reproductive capacity in brown planthopper under high temperatures should be of great concern, and it has important implications for forecasting future brown planthopper outbreaks as well as the pesticide-selection process.

The present study illustrates that different day intervals (DIs) between the sequential infestations of two pest species, the rice leaffolder (RLF) Cnaphalocrocis medinalis Guenée (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and the white-backed rice planthopper (WBPH) Sogatella furcifera Horváth (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), have a significant impact on the rice yield loss rate (YLR) and on the carbohydrate contents of rice plants. For WBPH release after RLF release (WRARR), the YLR decreased with the increasing DIs, and the YLR at the 24 DI was significantly lower compared to that at the 6 and 12 DIs and had a minimum value for a simultaneous infestation of the two pest species (SITS). In contrast, for RLF release after WBPH release (RRAWR), the YLR at the 24 DI had a maximum value and was significantly higher compared to that at the 6 and 12 DIs and the SITS. These findings indicate that damaged rice plants gradually recover, with an increase in the DI for WRARR. The above results were demonstrated by biochemical tests. Therefore, the sequential infestation of the two pest species and their DIs should be considered for integrated pest management (IPM) and control strategies for rice pests.