Asian citrus psyllid

Definition

A small sap-sucking hemipteran insect, Diaphorina citri (family Liviidae), native to southern Asia and now invasive in citrus-growing regions worldwide. It is the primary vector of the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, which causes citrus greening disease (huanglongbing), a devastating and incurable condition that destroys commercial citrus groves. Adults are brownish, 3–4 mm long, and hold their wings roof-like over the body; nymphs feed on new flush growth and excrete distinctive waxy tubules. Management relies on insecticide applications, biological control with parasitoid wasps such as Tamarixia radiata, and quarantine protocols to limit pathogen spread.

Etymology

From 'Asian' (native range), 'citrus' (host plant genus), and 'psyllid' (family Psyllidae or Liviidae, jumping plant-lice)

Example

In Florida, the arrival of the Asian citrus psyllid in 1998 and subsequent spread of citrus greening disease forced growers to shift from reactive spraying to area-wide management coordinated across county lines.

Synonyms

• Diaphorina citri

Related Terms

• Citrus greening disease
• huanglongbing
• psyllid
• hemipteran
• Vector
• Liviidae
• Tamarixia radiata
• flush growth

Usage Notes

The common name is preferred in agricultural and regulatory contexts; the scientific name Diaphorina citri is standard in taxonomic literature. Formerly placed in Psyllidae, now in Liviidae following molecular phylogenetic revisions. Not to be confused with the African citrus psyllid (Trioza erytreae), the other confirmed vector of citrus greening, which has a more restricted distribution and slightly different biology.