- Worldwide. On members of the citrus family, especially grapefruit, kumquat, lemons, limes, mandarin, orange, pomelo and tangelo, and the ornamentals, mock orange, and the curry tree. An important pest.
- The psyllid: (i) sucks sap damaging shoot tips; (ii) spreads huanglongbing (greening) bacteria; (iii) produces honeydew, which covers leaves and is turned black by sooty moulds.
- Eggs laid in shoot tips; nymphs produce thread-like long wax. Adults feed at 40 degrees to surface.
- Spread in wind, and in the trade in citrus plants.
- Biosecurity: many countries in the Pacific and elsewhere are free from the psyllid.
- Cultural control: check plants in nurseries; teach farm staff to identify psyllids, and to report to government authorities if seen.
- Chemical control: PDPs: neem or pyrethrum; synthetic pyrethroids or neonicotinoids.
Pacific Pests, Pathogens and Weeds - Online edition
Pacific Pests, Pathogens, Weeds & Pesticides
Citrus psyllid (185)
Asian (or Asiatic) citrus psyllid
Diaphorina citri
AUTHOR Grahame Jackson
Information from CABI (2020) Diaphorina citri (Asian citri psyllid). Crop Protection Compendium. (https://www.cabi.org/cpc/datasheet/18615); and Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri (2019). Department of Agriculture Water and the Environment. (https://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity/australia/naqs/naqs-target-lists/pests_of_plants_asian_citrus_psyllid); Plant Biosecurity and Product Integrity (2017) Asian citrus psyllid. Department of Primary Industries, NSW, Australia; and from Asian citrus psyllid (undated) Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation. Biosecurity Queensland. (https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/73110/Citrus-Asian-citrus-psyllid.pdf); and from Asian citrus psyllid (2019) Business Queensland. Queensland Government (https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/farms-fishing-forestry/agriculture/crop-growing/priority-pest-disease/asian-citrus-psyllid). Photos 1&3 David Hall, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org. Photo 2 Michael Rogers, University of Florida. Photo 4 Michael Rogers, University of Florida. Photo 5 JM Bove, INRA Centre de Recherches de Bordeaux, Bugwood.org. Photo 6 Jeffery W. Lotz, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org. Photo 7 HD Catling, Bugwood.org.
Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project PC/2010/090: Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.