EST DAMAGE to rice plants in California most frequently occurs during the first two months of the growing season. This injury is generally caused by the tadpole shrimp, the rice leaf miner, and the rice water weevil. The first two pests are found throughout the rice-growing areas of the State. They may be responsible for a reduction in plant stand from April to June but their activity is greatly reduced or of little consequence by early July. The rice water weevil, presently limited to the northern rice growing counties, will feed on the rice plants during the entire growing season. This weevil very seldom causes a loss of plant stand, but the feeding of the young on the roots may stunt the plant and reduce the yield if the larvae are abundant.