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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Sugarbeet Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #432017
Research Project: Improving Sugarbeet Productivity and Sustainability through Genetic, Genomic, Physiological, and Phytopathological Approaches

Location: Sugarbeet Research

Title: Spanioneura fonscolombii (Forster) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) rediscovered on boxwood (Buxus sempervirens L.) in Maryland

Author
item Russavage, Emily
item HARDING, NANCY - University Of Maryland
item RAUPP, MICHAEL - University Of Maryland
item SHREWSBURY, PAULA - University Of Maryland

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/11/2026
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Most research on psyllids, or jumping plant lice, focus on a few species that transmit plant diseases to field and greenhouse crop plants. This work aimed to understand the life cycle of an understudied nursery pest psyllid, Spanioneura fonscolombii (Forester). This psyllid was first discovered in the United States in 1916, but there have been no reports of this species since. We report the first confirmed sighting in 2012 in Bowie, Maryland, USA. Adults were found throughout the sampling year (February 2024 - February 2025), indicating that this is the overwintering life stage. Eggs were laid in February through April within boxwood shrub buds, making them difficult to detect. Nymphs were present March through May. Although this psyllid shares some physical traits with another, more common species (such as the boxwood psyllid), it has several distinct features, including wing spots and pointed forewings.

Technical Abstract: The psyllid Spanioneura fonscolombii Foerster, 1848 was first discovered in the United States in 1916, but has not since been reported. We document the presence, phenology, and egg-laying patterns of S. fonscolombii in Maryland. Adults were first found in Prince George’s County, MD in 2012 on boxwood shrubs (Buxus sempervirens L.). Spanioneura fonscolombii populations were monitored through the destructive sampling of boxwood branches from February 2024 through May 2025. Adults were most abundant in May of both years but were present in low densities throughout the rest of the year, indicating that this species overwinters in the adult stage. Eggs were found from February to April in 2024 and March to April 2025, with more eggs found on lateral buds and innermost bud scale layers. In both years, nymphs emerged in March and were most abundant in April and were found until early May. Our phenology study also indicates that this species is univoltine in Maryland. Damage caused by S. fonscolombii was mainly aesthetic, as nymphs produced abundant white wax on leaf and stem surfaces. Most research on psyllids has emphasized a small subset of species that vector crop diseases, but our study highlights the biology and phenology of an understudied psyllid that affects nursery and landscape boxwood plants.