Acacia Psyllid

Acacia Psyllid

Acacia Psyllid 

Acacia Psyllid  

 Acacia Psyllid 

 Acacia Psyllid 

 Acacia Psyllid 

Acacia Psyllid  

Acacia Psyllid 

Psyllids resemble miniature cicadas and are sometimes called jumping plantlice. Over 100 species occur on both native and introduced landscape plants in the United States. Several psyllid species are pests of crops such as pear, potato, and tomato. Each kind of psyllid feeds on only one plant species or closely related group of plants. Most psyllids native to the United States are relatively uncommon and rarely become pests. Most pest psyllids in California are exotic species inadvertently introduced from other countries.

IDENTIFICATION AND LIFE CYCLE
Adult females lay eggs that hatch and develop through about five wingless, immature nymphal stages before becoming winged adults. Most pest psyllids in California occur on evergreen plants in mild-climate areas where all life stages may be found year-round. Psyllids become abundant in spring when temperatures warm and host plants produce new growth flushes. One psyllid generation requires only a few weeks during warm weather to complete development from egg to adult. High temperatures may reduce populations of some species.

Adults hold their wings rooflike over their bodies and at maturity are 1/10 to 1/5  inch long. Psyllids are related to aphids but have strong jumping legs and shorter antennae. Nymphs are flattened and less active than adults. Don’t confuse psyllid adults with similar looking but harmless psocids. Psocids feed on fungi, including sooty mold growing on psyllid honeydew. Mature psyllids commonly jump when disturbed, while psocids run or fly away. Psocids have a more narrow “neck” or separation between the head and the thorax and chewing mouthparts, as compared to psyllids, which have tubular, sucking mouthparts.

Because several hundred species of psyllids occur just on acacia and eucalyptus trees in Australia, exotic, new psyllid species are likely to be introduced into California. Take psyllids you are unable to identify to your county agricultural commissioner or Cooperative Extension office for identification. See your telephone book for local contact information.

Acacia Psyllid
Acacia psyllid occurs on leaves, terminal shoots, and flower buds of many acacia and albizia trees. Adults are green to brownish but often appear darker during cooler weather. The tiny, golden eggs and the orange to green, flattened nymphs are most abundant on the surface of new growth. Up to about eight generations a year are reported in California with the greatest densities in coastal urban regions.

Bluegum Psyllid
At least seven species of psyllid occur on eucalyptus trees in California (see the key for distinguishing species in Two Eucalyptus Psyllids New to Florida). The bluegum psyllid infests Eucalyptus species that have waxy blue juvenile foliage, such as blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus). However, significant damage has largely been limited to foliage of silver-leaved mountain gum, also called baby blue gum (Eucalyptus pulverulenta), grown commercially for floral arrangements. Bluegum psyllid adults are grayish. When mating tail-to-tail, pairs may look like a tiny grayish moth unless examined more closely. The pale yellow to cream-colored eggs are laid in crevices between buds and young leaf petioles or openly on young leaves. Young nymphs are orangish, becoming mostly grayish with olive green markings as they mature. Colonies of bluegum psyllids are covered with whitish wax. The insect can have four or more generations per year.

Eugenia Psyllid
Eugenia psyllid occurs primarily on Australian brush cherry or eugenia (Syzygium paniculatum). It has also been observed on juvenile foliage of New Zealand Christmas tree (Metrosideros excelsus). Adults are mostly dark brown with a white band around the abdomen. Their tiny golden eggs are laid primarily along the edges of young leaves, causing infested leaf margins to glisten in the sun. Nymphs are yellowish with orange-red eyes. Recently hatched first-instar nymphs (called crawlers) settle on new growth and each forms a feeding pit. Settled nymphs resemble a soft scale insect and appear flat when viewed from the lower leaf surface. The upper surface of infested foliage reddens and distorts above these pits. Eugenia psyllid has about three to five generations a year, depending on temperature and host plant suitability.

Peppertree Psyllid

Peppertree psyllid feeds only on the California pepper tree (Schinus molle). Despite its common name, this plant is native to South America  (it is also called Brazilian pepper) and was introduced into California by Spanish settlers. Adult peppertree psyllids are greenish or tan and somewhat pear shaped. The tiny, translucent, white eggs are deposited on the tender growth of pepper trees. The orangish nymphs feed on young expanding plant growth and the plant forms a pit around where each nymph settled. Infested leaves may become somewhat distorted or crinkled.