Sampling Malayan black bugs,Scotinophara coarctata(F.), in rice was conducted on the island of Palawan, the Philippines, using fluorescent-street-light traps, Petromax gas-lantern traps, and visual counts in the field. Peak catches in light traps occurred around the time of the full moon, especially during mid-August 1984, mid-April to mid-May, and June 1985. However, we found no relationship between densities ofS. coarctatain light traps and in the field. Population sampling revealed that data fromS. coarctatafit a negative binomial distribution, with a clumping coefficient ofk= 0.50. A sequential sampling plan was developed and compared with intensive sampling using visual counts of bugs on individual hills of rice. Using sequential sampling, 44–56% fewer samples were needed to arrive at the same decision obtained by intensive sampling. Over 90% agreement between intensive sampling and sequential sampling was found.