Survival of Adult Asian Citrus Psyllid, Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), on Harvested Citrus Fruit and Leaves

Abstract

Prompted by regulatory concerns of Asian citrus psyllid accidentally being transported from areas infested by the psyllid to areas not infested, survival of adults was investigated on harvested fruit and leaves of 4 citrus cultivars at 25 °C (75% relative humidity). The combined results of 2 experiments indicated that, in the absence of plant material, at least some adults survived for up to 6 d; that at least some adults survived for 10 to 13 d on harvested fruit in the absence of leaves; and that depending on the cultivar some adults survived for 6 to around 12 d on detached leaves or detached stems with leaves. Survival of adult psyllids was longest (a maximum of 17 to 29 d depending on cultivar) when they had access to fruit with an attached stem of leaves. The presence of adult psyllids in shipments of fruit from an area quarantined for the psyllid would therefore be of concern to regulatory agencies trying to limit spread of D. citri.