Effect of Leaf and Panicle Feeding by Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae on Rice Grain Yield

Abstract
Artificial defoliation of several varieties of rice plants to simulate late-season damage by Pseudaletia unipuncta (Haworth) reduced yields at 100 and 50% defoliation but not significantly at 25% defoliation. Defoliation averaging 25 to 30% by armyworm larvae resulted in yield reductions of −2.8 to 50.2%. An average of 4.8% of the panicles was damaged by armyworm larvae, but the average seed loss was 0.35%.