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citrus killer alert

18 years ago

As backyard growers of citrus trees we need to pay attention to all our citrus trees and know what the eggs, nympths, and adult Asian Psyllid look like. Although the actual symptom that can be recognized will only be seen maybe a year after infection, we need to know what it looks like so we can be a part of this tragedy being slowed down.

The bacterial tree disease is called Huanglongbing (HLB) also known as Citrus Greening Disease.

All the infected insect has to do is poke into one leaf of a citrus tree and the tree will become infected and serve as a host for other non-disease carrying Asian Citrus Psyllid to become a carrier. Of course, there is no cure and the tree will die after showing the leaf symtoms and its fruit becoming sour and somewhat deformed and not marketable.

One of the hosts for this insect is the Orange Jasmine. I don't know all the citrus-like plants that can become infected, but it's something we need to know so we can be on the lookout.

The insect is aphid-like in size and the eggs can be found on new flushes of leaves. This gives us another reason not to give our trees any more nitrogen than what they absolutely need we don't want to encourage new growth out of season).

I hope I don't sound like a know-it-all because I certainly am not -- but this is serious. Of all places, we need to be giving this subject tremendous promotion.

If you can provide us with up-to-date information, please do! The link below is very current. Just remember -- this is a threat to the entire citrus industry and to say the people in this industry are worried is an astronomical understatement -- not just in California and Florida. Texas and Louisianna are on the lookout because the insect is found there. Of course, everyone from a citrus growing area should be on the prowl and reporting here and to our extention services.

The link that I last posted to 'I don't think the Florida ban will end soon' wasn't the one I had intended to post, but it's a good link anyway. There is some information on that thread.

Brass

Here is a link that might be useful: be on the lookout alert

Comments (4)

  • 18 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    The link below is from the Univ of Florida and is very comprehensive. It mentions two host plants, there are others, but the two it mentions are the Orange Jasmine and Orange boxwood.

    Here is a link that might be useful: for comprehensive information

  • 18 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    this contains a pretty comprehensive list of the host plants with a lot more info on the little bug:

    PEST PROFILE

    Common Name: Asian Citrus Psyllid

    Scientific Name: Diaphorina citri Kuwayama

    Order and Family: Hemiptera, Psyllidae

    Description: The Asian citrus psyllid is 3 to 4 mm long with a brown mottled body. The head is light brown. The wings are broadest in the apical half, mottled, and with a dark brown band extending around the periphery of the outer half of the wing. The insect is covered with a whitish waxy secretion, making it appear dusty. Nymphs are generally yellowish orange in color, with large filaments confined to an apical plate of the abdomen. The eggs are approximately 0.3 mm long, elongate, almond-shaped. Fresh eggs are pale in color, but then turn yellow and finally orange at the time of hatching. Eggs are placed on plant tissue with the long axis vertical to the surface of the plant.

    History and Economic Importance: Asian citrus psyllid was first found in Palm Beach County, Florida, in June 1998 in backyard plantings of orange jasmine. By 2001, it had spread to 31 counties in Florida, with much of the spread due to movement of infested nursery plants. In the spring of 2001, Asian citrus psyllid was accidentally introduced into the Rio Grande Valley on potted nursery stock from Florida. It was subsequently found in Hawaii in 2006 and in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina in 2008. The Asian citrus psyllid has the potential to invade California at any time, with the most likely sources of infestation being Mexico, other infested U.S. states, or Asia. There were 170 interceptions of Asian citrus psyllid at US ports on plant material with an Asian origin from 1985 to 2003.

    Distribution: The Asian citrus psyllid is found in tropical and subtropical Asia, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Reunion, Mauritius, parts of South and Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the U.S. (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas).

    Life Cycle: Eggs are laid on tips of growing shoots, on and between unfurling leaves. Females may lay more than 800 eggs during their lives. Nymphs pass through five instars. The total life cycle requires from 15 to 47 days, depending on environmental factors such as temperature and season. The adults may live for several months. There is no diapause but populations are low in the winter or during dry periods. There are nine to 10 generations a year, with up to 16 observed under observation in field cages.

    Host and Damage: The Asian citrus psyllid feeds mainly on Citrus spp., at least two species of Murraya , and at least three other genera all in the family Rutaceae. The most serious damage caused by Asian citrus psyllid is due to its ability to effectively vector the phloem-inhabiting bacterium Candidatus liberibacterasiaticus that causes citrus greening disease. In the past, this bacterium has been extremely hard to detect and characterize. In recent years, however, DNA probes, electron microscopy and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests (ELISA) have been developed that have improved detection. Symptoms of citrus greening include yellow shoots, with mottling and chlorosis of the leaves. The juice of the infected fruit has a bitter taste. Fruit do not color properly leading to the name "greening". Citrus greening is one of the most devastating diseases of citrus in the world. Injury caused by psyllids results from the withdrawal of large amounts of sap from the plant as they feed and produce copious amounts of honeydew. The honeydew coats the leaves of the tree, encouraging sooty mold to grow. The once flourishing citrus industry in India is slowly being wiped out by dieback. This dieback has multiple causes but the major cause is due to greening disease.

    Partial Host List

    COMMON NAME
    SCIENTIFIC NAME

    Bael fruit
    Aegle marmelos

    Chevaliers aeglopsis
    Aeglopsis chevalieri


    Afraegle gabonensis


    Afraegle paniculata


    Atalantia spp.

    Uganda powder flask
    Balsamocitrus dawei

    Curry leaf
    Bergera koenigii

    Cape chestnut
    Calodendrum capense

    Calamondin
    Citrofortunella microcarpa

    Citrange
    Citroncircus webberi

    African cherry orange
    Citropsis schweinfurthii

    Citrus
    Citrus spp.


    Clausena anisum-olens

    Pink wampee
    Clausena excavata

    Clausena
    Clausena indica

    Wampee
    Clausina lansium

    Desert lime
    Eremocitrus glauca


    Eremocitrus hybrid

    Kumquat
    Fortunella spp.

    Wood apple
    Limonia acidissima


    Merrillia caloxylon

    Finger lime
    Microcitrus australasica

    Round lime
    Microcitrus australis


    Microcitrus papuana


    Microcitronella sydney.

    Mock orange
    Murraya spp.


    Naringi crenulata


    Pamburus missionis

    Trifoliate orange
    Poncirus trifoliata

    Chinese box orange
    Severinia buxifolia

    Tabog
    Swinglea glutinosa

    Orange climber plant
    Toddalia asiatica

    Toddalia
    Toddalia lanceolata


    Triphasia trifolia

    White ironwood
    Vepris lanceolata


    Xanthoxylum fagara

  • 18 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    and this shows how serious of a pest the State of California thinks it is

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I would be willing to bet that sea solids fertilizer will save trees that have already been infected, and prevent other trees from getting citrus greening disease. Sea solids are the mineral salts remaining after ocean water is evaporated, and they provide the complete spectrum of minerals that enable plants to resist disease. They are available to those who are willing to try them.

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