Pear-pest
Guides
Cacopsylla pyricola
pear sucker, pear psylla
Cacopsylla pyricola is a phloem-feeding true bug in the family Psyllidae and a major economic pest of pear trees (Pyrus communis). Native to Europe, it was introduced to the eastern United States in the early 1800s and has since spread to major pear-growing regions including the Pacific Northwest. The species exhibits distinct seasonal morphotypes: summerforms are pale while winterforms are reddish-brown to black. It is a vector of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma pyri', the causative agent of pear decline disease.
Eriophyes pyri
pearleaf blister mite, pear leaf blister mite
Eriophyes pyri is a gall-forming eriophyid mite that attacks pear (Pyrus), apple (Malus), and plum (Prunus). Females overwinter beneath upper bud scales, emerging in spring when average daily temperatures exceed 10°C. The mite induces characteristic blister galls on young leaves by feeding on phloem sap, completing three generations per growing season in temperate regions. Population management through targeted pesticide applications can reduce mite numbers by 75–94% and improve fruit yield and quality.
Urophorus
Urophorus is a genus of sap-feeding beetles in the family Nitidulidae, containing at least two described species. The genus is characterized by association with fermenting plant material and fruit. Urophorus humeralis, commonly known as the pineapple beetle, has been documented as a pest of pear fruits in Chinese orchards. The genus is distinguished from related nitidulids by morphological features, though specific diagnostic traits require detailed examination.
Urophorus humeralis
pineapple beetle, yellow-shouldered souring beetle
Urophorus humeralis is a sap-feeding beetle in the family Nitidulidae, commonly known as the pineapple beetle or yellow-shouldered souring beetle. The species has a remarkably broad distribution spanning Africa, North America, Oceania, Southern Asia, Europe, and temperate Asia. It is an agricultural pest with documented associations to multiple crop plants, including a first reported infestation of pear fruits in China. The species has been identified as a vector of the plant pathogen Ceratocystis paradoxa in sugarcane in Hawaii, with adults preferentially attracted to diseased over healthy plant material.