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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Insects and Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #284821
Title: Ontogenic variation in citrus flush shoots and its relation with host plant finding and acceptance by Asian citrus psyllid (Hemiptera: Psyllidae)

Author
item SETAMOU, MAMOUDOU - Texas A&M University
item Patt, Joseph - Joe

Submitted to: International Citrus Congress Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/10/2012
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) is a destructive insect mainly because it vectors the bacterial pathogens that cause the deadly and incurable citrus greening disease. Diaphorina citri adult females lay eggs and immature development occurs exclusively on new flush shoots of their Rutaceae host plants. Although citrus trees are evergreen vegetation that holds green foliage all year round, D. citri is particularly abundant in citrus groves when new flush shoots are present. Thus, population dynamics of this pest are strongly determined by flush cycles of citrus trees. New flush shoots have distinctive physical and chemical characteristics that may facilitate host finding by adult psyllids and their suitability for psyllid oviposition and immature development. Consistent with this hypothesis, D. citri adults preferentially selected younger flush shoots over mature ones for feeding and oviposition. Appearance of young flush shoots as measured by their spectral reflectance, their softness and volatile composition provided evidence of their roles in nutritional ecology of D. citri.