Psyllinae

Genus Guides

Psyllinae is a of plant-parasitic hemipterans within the Psyllidae, comprising approximately 12 and at least 40 described . Members are commonly known as psyllids or jumping plant lice. The subfamily includes economically significant pest species such as the apple psylla (Cacopsylla mali) and pear psylla (Cacopsylla pyri). Species exhibit biogeographic patterns correlating with altitude and regional flora, with Oriental elements dominating at lower elevations and Himalayan and Australian elements prevalent above 2500 m in montane systems.

Cacopsylla by (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Cacopsylla by (c) Christian Back, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Christian Back. Used under a CC-BY license.

Hornbeam Psyllid Nymphs - Flickr - treegrow by Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Psyllinae: //ˈsɪlɪniː//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Habitat

Montane and lowland ; biogeographic composition varies with altitude. On Gunung Kinabalu, Oriental faunal elements predominate at lower altitudes, while Himalayan and Australian elements become above 2500 m.

Distribution

Documented from Gunung Kinabalu, Malaysia (Sabah), with high apparent local (18 of 22 only known from this locality). Probable Palaearctic faunal elements present in three Cacopsylla species. Related species occur in the Philippines.

Diet

; phloem feeding on plants. Documented host associations include Myrsine dasyphylla (Primulaceae) and Photinia davidiana (Rosaceae). Myrsine represents a novel host for Psylloidea.

Host Associations

Myrsine dasyphylla (Primulaceae) - of Cacopsylla myrsines; first report of Myrsine as host for Psylloidea
Photinia davidiana (Rosaceae) - of Cacopsylla photiniae

Human Relevance

Includes minor agricultural pest : Cacopsylla mali (apple psylla) and Cacopsylla pyri (pear psylla).

More Details

Taxonomic Notes

Two Philippine , Cacopsylla aranetae and C. bakeri, were transferred from Psylla to Cacopsylla based on phylogenetic affinities with C. kinabaluensis.

Biogeographic Interpretation

High apparent on Gunung Kinabalu (18 of 22 only known from this mountain) likely reflects insufficient sampling of Bornean and tropical faunas rather than true endemism.