Paddy earhead bug (Leptocorisa acuta)

Latin Name	Observation Date	Location
*Leptocorisa acuta*	Jun 20, 2026	Natore, Bangladesh

Through macro photography, we can see many unknown insects around us very closely. The long insect that is seen sitting on the leaf in these wonderful photos you have taken is commonly called the 'paddy earhead bug' in English. It is basically a harmful insect of rice plants or a special member of the rice bug species. Many times, common people confuse it with another close species of insect called Leptocorisa oratoria or are confused in identification.

Scientific name:
According to the scientific classification of biology, this specific species of insect has a specific binomial name. Its current scientific name is Leptocorisa acuta. In 1783, the scientist Thunberg was the first to give the scientific name to this species. In the scientific world, there are several other old or synonymous names, including Cimex acutus, Cimex angustatus, Gerris varicornis and Leptocorisa burmeisteri. The basionym or original name of this insect was Cimex acutus.
Family and Classification:
This insect is a member of the vast Arthropoda phylum and the Insecta class. According to the classification made by scientists, they belong to the order Hemiptera. Currently, their family name is Alydidae and their genus or genus is Leptocorisa. In addition, in detailed classification, it is a well-known member of the Heteroptera suborder and the Micrelytrinae subfamily.

Physical structure:
If you look at the macro photos you have taken, its physical structure can be understood very clearly. The body of these insects is quite long and slender. Their skin color is usually light brown or yellowish-green, which helps them blend in easily with the leaves of the trees. Their antennae are quite long compared to their body and their legs are also quite narrow and long. This structure looks really nice when they are sitting on the leaves.

Habitat and habitat:
These insects are limited to certain areas in terms of geographical distribution. According to information, their presence has been recorded from northern Australia, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Harmfulness and impact on agriculture
Although they seem to have a peaceful nature in nature, they are a very harmful insect for farmers. They are known as a serious pest especially for rice plants. When rice is just starting to mature, that is, when there is a milk-like liquid inside it (milk stage), these insects suck the juice from the immature grains. As a result, the quality of the crop is severely reduced and sometimes the overall yield of the crop is also reduced.

Pesticide Risks and Other Crops
Since these insects usually attack crops close to harvest, they pose a major problem for farmers. If farmers spray insecticides just before harvest to control the infestation, there is a high risk of leaving harmful pesticide residues on the crop, which poses a threat to human health. Not only rice, but in Asia, this insect also causes extensive damage to crops such as sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet.

I hope you like the information.

I learned about them from various sites including iNaturalist, Wikipedia and Google.

_{*(All posts are written in Bengali and translated into English using Google Translate.) *}
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Camera Used	Samsung SM-G973F
F-Stop	F2.4
ISO speed	ISO
Focal length	26mm
Flash	No
Editing app	Lightroom
Photography	(Leptocorisa acuta)
Photographer	@mshbd
Location	Natore, Bangladesh