First report ofthe occurrence of livia junci (Schrank, 1789) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) on juncus fontanesii j. Gay ex laharpe (Juncaceae) from portugal

Abstract

"Witches' brooms" is a disease or deformity in a plant where the natural structure of the plant is changed, i.e., a dense mass of shoots grows, usually from a single point, with the resulting structure resembling a broom. The specimens of Juncus fontanesii J. Gay ex Laharpe were collected on July 21, 2003, in Portugal (LISU 189105). We observed the larvae of the last (i.e., fifth) stadium of Livia junci (Schrank, 1789) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae). Many exuvia of the early larval stages from Livia junci were obtained from the galls. This confirmed that the parasites lived in its larval period on Juncus fontanesii. Additionally, J. fontanesii formed the galls as a result of response to feeding, similar to other representatives of the genus Juncus. Livia junci is the only representative of the genus Livia that feeds on Juncus species in the Western Palearctic area.