author(s)
Kanagaraj L, P Chandramani, C Chinniah and S Banumathy

abstract
A field experiment was conducted during Rabi 2016 – 2017 (Oct - Feb) at Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai to study the species diversity of major insect pests of rice. Three species of rice stem borers viz., Scirpophaga incertulas, Sesamia inferens, Chilo polychrysus occurred among which the first was dominant. S. incertulas was predominant during December 2016 (68.96%), whereas S. inferens (38.38%) and C. polychrysus (30.23%) prevailed during September and November respectively. Three species of rice leaf folders viz., Cnaphalocrocis medinalis, Marasmia patnalis and Marasmia ruralis occurred among which the first was dominant.C. medinalis was abundant during March 2017 (72.01%) whereas, M. patnalis (37.98%) and M. ruralis (22.92%) during December 2016 and January 2017 respectively.Among the leaf hopper species occurred, the abundance was more in Nephotettix nigropictus during January 2017 (72.33%), whereas, N. virescens (42.18%), N. malayanus (22.23%) and Cofana spectra (11.88%) during September, July and December 2016 respectively.