• Nymphs and adult suck the juice from within the grains when they are in the milky stage.
• Grains shrink and turn black in colour and ill filled (or) chaffy.
• Presence of large number of nymphs and adults are seen on the ear head.

Identification of the pest:

• Egg: Blue cigar shaped, laid under the glumes or into the middle of the florets
• Nymphs: Slender, green in colour
• Adults: Male is green in colour. Female is green with a brown margin