Diaphorina citri

Definition

A small, sap-feeding hemipteran insect in the family Liviidae, commonly called the Asian citrus psyllid. It is the primary vector of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, the bacterium that causes huanglongbing (citrus greening disease), the most destructive citrus disease worldwide. Adults are mottled brown with distinctive red eyes; nymphs feed on young flush and excrete waxy tubules. Native to southern Asia, it has invaded the Americas, the Mediterranean, and other citrus-growing regions, making it a focus of quarantine, biological control, and integrated pest management programs.

Etymology

New Latin: Diaphorina (genus name, from Greek diaphoros 'different') + citri (genitive of Latin citrus, referring to its host association with citrus plants).

Example

Diaphorina citri populations are monitored in Florida citrus groves using yellow sticky traps and degree-day models to time insecticide applications against the spring flush generation.

Synonyms

• Asian citrus psyllid
• ACP

Related Terms

• Liviidae
• Hemiptera
• psyllid
• huanglongbing
• Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus
• Vector
• Integrated Pest Management
• flush growth
• quarantine pest

Usage Notes

The common name 'Asian citrus psyllid' is standard in agricultural and regulatory contexts; 'ACP' is widely used in scientific literature but should be defined on first use. The species has been placed in family Psyllidae in older literature and in Triozidae in some sources, but current taxonomy (supported by molecular phylogenetics) places it in Liviidae. Two synonymized author citations exist: Crawford, 1911 and Kuwayama, 1908, with the latter having priority but the former widely used in early 20th-century literature.