page_title: Rhopalosiphum rufiabdominale
section_title: Management
hierarchical_section_title: Rhopalosiphum rufiabdominale / Management
caption_attribution_description: English: Rice root aphids on a sticky band that is wrapped around a marijuana plant stem. This can be used as a tool to detect rice root aphids and limit their dispersal.
context_page_description: Rhopalosiphum rufiabdominale, the rice root aphid or red rice root aphid, is a sap-sucking insect pest with a wide host range and a global distribution. As a member of the superfamily Aphidoidea, it is one of 16 species of the genus Rhopalosiphum. Adults and nymphs are soft-bodied and usually dark green with brown, red, or yellow tones. Like all aphids, reproduction is sexual and asexual, depending on the environmental conditions and host plant. Rice root aphids cause injury to external plant parts, namely the roots or stem, by feeding on plant sap and vector several important plant viruses. The hosts of this pest extend across multiple plant families with most belonging to Rosaceae, Poaceae, and Solanaceae. R. rufiabdominale is universally associated with Prunus species but also infests various field crops, greenhouse vegetables, cannabis, and other ornamental plants. While this aphid originates from east Asia, it spans nearly every continent. Dispersal is particularly widespread across the United States, India, and Australia, with crop damage documented in multiple instances, although economic losses are primarily associated with Japanese rice crops.
context_section_description: An integrated pest management system is the best approach to regulating rice root aphid. It is a relatively complicated pest to manage because it primarily resides below the soil line, limiting biological control options and rendering foliar insecticides ineffective. It makes early detection through systematic crop monitoring and visual observation essential. Additionally, preventative measures through cultural and physical controls in conjunction with carefully selected biological control organisms and judicious use of biopesticides offer the best defense.
caption: Sticky band on the stem of a plant to detect and limit dispersal of rice root aphid
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