First documented in Texas in 2015, the rice delphacid has gradually expanded its footprint. In 2025, it appeared in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi, putting the Mid-South region’s rice industry on alert. While Texas growers have nearly a decade of experience managing the pest, other states are still learning how it behaves in local conditions.
Texas: Managing an Evolving Threat
In Texas, rice delphacid is no longer a new threat; it’s an evolving one.
“In the three years I’ve been in this role, they’ve shown up earlier every year,” says Sam Rustom, Texas Extension rice specialist.
Once considered primarily a ratoon crop pest, delphacids are now appearing in main crop rice earlier in the season. In 2024, populations emerged in July. By 2025, they were detected as early as June.
“The most severe damage occurs from panicle differentiation to soft dough,” Rustom says. “This is when hoppers feed on the sugars and stored carbohydrates that are supposed to fill the grain, resulting in both yield and quality loss.”
Rustom recommends scouting as soon as rice transitions from vegetative to reproductive stages, especially in aromatic varieties, which appear particularly attractive to delphacids.
“Our recommendation has been to spray on first detection,” Rustom says. “When we let populations get out of control, they will stay out of control.”
Courier, an IGR available through a Section 18 exemption, is currently the primary management tool. While it targets nymphs and provides residual protection, long-term solutions like resistant varieties and improved insecticides for adults are still in development.
“It’s going to help bridge the gap – until we get long-term solutions,” Rustom says.
Louisiana: Monitoring Migration and the Importance of Timing
In Louisiana, efforts are focused on early detection and understanding how the pest behaves under local conditions.
“We are doing a statewide monitoring survey for the delphacid,” says Tyler Musgrove, Louisiana Extension rice specialist.
He says the program was scheduled to begin on April 1. Researchers are using sweep nets, sticky cards and even a DVAC to track populations.
Louisiana’s rice-crawfish rotation system might also influence the pest’s survival.
“Rice and crawfish are grown in rotation – which means food resources and habitat may persist longer into the winter,” Musgrove says.
That extended availability of habitat ties into a larger question researchers are still working to answer. Does the pest survive locally, or must it reestablish each season?
“There’s a theory that rice delphacids don’t overwinter locally, but instead migrate in each year,” Musgrove says.
Based on 2024 observations, that migration could lead to peak pressure later in the season, with significant populations expected around July.
Even so, last year’s outbreaks pointed to one factor growers can control – timing.
“Our current recommendation to producers is to plant as early as possible within the recommended window,” Musgrove explains. “The rice that was hit the hardest was the rice that was planted the latest.”
He emphasizes planting date isn’t just important for rice, but across agriculture as a whole.
That trend held across multiple states in 2024, with later-planted fields in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas consistently experiencing the greatest pressure.
Arkansas: Facing a Major Unknown
For Arkansas, 2026 might be the first true test.
“Time will tell,” says Nick Bateman, Arkansas crop entomologist. “We’ve had about six weeks’ worth of experience with it, so it’s a major unknown.”
Unlike Texas, Arkansas has little historical presence of the pest. Surveys conducted decades ago failed to detect either the insect or the virus it can carry.
Recent winter weather may have reduced early populations this year.
“That cold front – it looks like the weather should have been cold enough to knock them out,” Bateman says.
Still, migration from Texas remains a concern.
“There’s no telling if it will happen again this year,” Bateman says. “It wouldn’t surprise me if we deal with it on a yearly basis.”
As in Louisiana, planting dates could play a critical role.
“If we can get rice planted in April, I think we’ll outrun a lot of the major issues,” Bateman says.
Proactive Scouting and Management Tips
Across all three states, one message is clear – scouting must start earlier and be more aggressive.
“They need to be sweeping it with a sweep net, particularly where vegetation is thick,” Bateman says.
Producers should watch for early signs of damage, including hopper burn, which is characterized by small, irregular patches of browning.
In Louisiana, Musgrove also recommends checking grassy areas around fields early in the season, where populations might establish before moving into rice.
Management options remain limited. Courier, the Section 18-approved insecticide, is currently the primary tool available across the region.
However, improper insecticide use might worsen the issue.
“When we treated for rice stink bug, the rice delphacid immediately followed,” Musgrove says, referencing pest resurgence.
Avoiding broad-spectrum pyrethroids might help reduce that risk.
A Looming Viral Threat
Beyond feeding damage, the rice delphacid presents an even greater concern – its ability to transmit Hoja Blanca virus. There is no cure once the infection occurs.
“You’ve got to control the insect in order to control the virus,” Musgrove says.
Although the virus has only been confirmed in Texas so far, researchers expect it to spread.
“It’s a matter of when, not if,” Musgrove says.
With limited research and increasing pressure, specialists agree vigilance will be critical moving forward.
