Cerodontha (Poemyza) oryzivora (Spencer, 1961)
IMPORTANT CHARACTERS
Adults
Wing length, male: 1.6 mm. Very small species; frontorbits dark, extremely broad with numerous rather large frontorbital setulae. The last two inwards directed frontorbital bristles are inconspicuous, not much larger than the frontorbital setulae. Katepisternum dark but on the upper side slightly lighter (Spencer, 1973).
Immature stages
Puparium light brown with minute posterior spiracles.
BIONOMICS
The larva feed only on young leaves, therefore seedlings and young plants are most vulnerable to the present Cerodontha species (Shah et al., 1976).
HOST PLANTS
Oryza sativa (rice), Triticum aestivum (wheat).
DISTRIBUTION
Known from Malaya India (Spencer, 1973) and Sri Lanka (from which the synonym flaviorbitalis has been described).
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
The species can be injurious for young plants of both rice and wheat. For an estimation of the economic significance of oryzivora in South East Asia further ecological studies are required.