Acizzia

Heslop-Harrison, 1961

Species Guides

Acizzia is a of psyllids in the Acizziinae, established by George Heslop-Harrison in 1961. are primarily associated with leguminous , particularly Acacia and Albizia species in Australia, though some have expanded to Solanaceae and Loranthaceae. Many species exhibit high host specificity, with some being monophagous or oligophagous. Several species have become outside their native ranges following the global horticultural trade of their host plants.

Acizzia by (c) Stephen Thorpe, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Stephen Thorpe. Used under a CC-BY license.

Acizzia acaciaebaileyana adults with sugars 28Feb2009 by Warricknelson. Used under a CC BY 3.0 license.

Acizzia acaciaebaileyana nymphs 19Apr2009 by Warricknelson. Used under a CC BY 3.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Acizzia: /əˈsɪziə/

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Images

Habitat

Associated with woody plants, primarily Acacia and Albizia in Australia. Some species occupy cultivated and wild Solanaceae, including eggplant, tobacco bush, and native Solanum species. Three species have been described from Australian mistletoe (Loranthaceae: Amyema spp.). typically occur on adaxial leaf surfaces for feeding and mating, while and nymphs develop on abaxial leaf surfaces.

Distribution

Worldwide distribution; native to Australia with highest diversity there. Established in Asia, Europe, North America, New Zealand, and La Réunion through plant introduction. Specific records include: United States (Florida), New Zealand, Southeast Asia (Brunei, Cambodia, India, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand), Europe (Croatia, France, Corsica, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom), and East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan).

Diet

Phloem-feeding; predominantly ingests from phloem sieve elements. Also performs xylem ingestion and salivation. Accesses plant fluids from mesophyll, xylem, and phloem tissues. Feeding varies between plants, with enhanced phloem ingestion on susceptible hosts and reduced ingestion on hosts.

Host Associations

Acacia baileyana - Acizzia acaciaebaileyanae
Acacia melanoxylon - Acizzia uncatoides
Acacia auriculiformis - Acizzia convector
Acacia mangium - Acizzia convector
Acacia veronica - Acizzia hughesae, Acizzia veski; vulnerable with restricted distribution in Western Australia
Albizia julibrissin - Acizzia jamatonica
Albizia lebbeck - Acizzia indica; serious pest on seedlings and saplings in India
Dodonaea viscosa - Acizzia dodonaeae
Solanum melongena - Acizzia solanicola; eggplant
Solanum mauritianum - Acizzia solanicola; wild tobacco bush, first New Zealand record 2012
Solanum petrophilum - Acizzia solanicola; putative ancestral wild in Australia
Solanum nummularium - Acizzia yeni; Australian money-leaf nightshade
Solanum lasiophyllum - Acizzia credoensis; flannel bush, Australian
Brugmansia sp. - Acizzia solanicola; Angel's trumpet
Physalis peruviana - Acizzia solanicola; cape gooseberry
Amyema spp. - Acizzia loranthacae, A. amyemae, A. pendulae; Australian mistletoe, new record for
Grevillea sp. 'Stirling Range' - Acizzia mccarthy; undescribed species under conservation action
Pultenaea glabra - Acizzia keithi; vulnerable with restricted distribution in eastern Australia, new host record

Life Cycle

, nymphal, and stages. Duration varies with plant quality. On susceptible Albizia lebbeck seed sources, egg stage lasts approximately 1.9 days, nymphal stage 9.8 days, and adult survival exceeds 13 days. On , development takes longer (egg ~3.9 days, nymphal ~17 days) with shorter adult lifespan (~8 days). Nymphs develop on abaxial leaf surfaces where eggs are laid.

Behavior

prefer adaxial leaf surfaces for feeding and mating. Probing includes six distinct waveforms: non-probing, , xylem feeding, first phloem contact, phloem salivation, and phloem ingestion. Shows discrimination, with enhanced feeding on susceptible hosts and reduced phloem ingestion on hosts characterized by shorter ingestion periods, higher return to pathway phase, and more salivation events. Can coexist with other on shared hosts.

Ecological Role

Herbivore; potential of phloem-restricted plant . are strongly -limited— numbers correlate with leaf nitrogen availability and host plant quality. On pruned Acacia karroo with high-quality regenerative foliage, reach levels, while populations remain low on normal trees. Several at risk of coextinction with their threatened host plants.

Human Relevance

Occasional economic pest on plantation and commercial crops. Acizzia solanicola damages eggplant in commercial crops and gardens. Acizzia indica is a serious pest on Albizia lebbeck seedlings and saplings in India. Some species have become outside native ranges following global trade in ornamental Acacia and Albizia species. Concern regarding potential to Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum on solanaceous crops. Subject of efforts (e.g., Acizzia uncatoides in La Réunion using Harmonia conformis).

More Details

Conservation status of host-specific species

Multiple Acizzia are considered rare and at risk of coextinction due to extreme specificity combined with restricted host plant distributions. Acizzia hughesae, A. mccarthy, A. veski, A. keithi, and A. yeni have been recorded only from single localities on vulnerable or threatened hosts. Two species (A. hughesae and A. mccarthy) were classified as threatened by the Western Australian State Government. Bush Blitz surveys have proven effective for discovering these rare species and identifying native hosts of economically important psyllids.

Short-range endemism

A large proportion of Acizzia are specific to single -plant species in the Acacia, qualifying them as short-range endemics when host plant distribution is restricted. However, this pattern is complicated by geographic variation in host use and possible local use of multiple host species. Short-range appears to be an important factor in diversification on Australian wattles.

Invasive potential

Several have established outside Australia through horticultural trade: Acizzia convector in Southeast Asia since at least the 1980s and recently in Florida (2014 onwards); Acizzia jamatonica in Europe and the United States; Acizzia solanicola in New Zealand (first recorded 2012). The wide distribution of Acacia auriculiformis and A. mangium in tropical Africa and South America suggests potential for further range expansion.