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Olive Psyllid

 

Euphyllura olivina (Costa) -- Hemiptera:  Psyllidae

 

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       This insect occurs in the Mediterranean Basin and the Middle East where three species of Euphyllura have varying and overlapping distributions.  However, commerce has spread the insect to other parts of the world.  The olive psyllid, was first reported from California in July 2007, and it is a potential pest of commercial olives that are produced in California’s Central Valley and along the Pacific coast.  The life stages of Euphyllura olivina include an egg, five nymphal instars, and adults.  They are very small ranging from 0.015 inches to 0.06 inches in length as immatures and about 0.1 inches as adults.  The life cycle is around 3 months at 68-77 deg. Fahrenheit.  A female psyllid may lay more than 1,000 eggs,  and egg laying begins when new shoots appear on olive trees.  Eggs are deposited on the top of twigs or among the leaves of plant shoots.  Although the insect is common in many olive-growing areas in the Mediterranean and Middle East, little is known about its biology in those areas, and its final distribution in California is uncertain.  There are also no reports about natural enemies attacking the psyllid within infested areas of California.  However, in Egypt El-Khawas et al (2000) reported parasitoid activity and a Mediterranean parasitoid, Psyllaephagus euphyllurae, is under study as a biological control for California (Hougardy et al. 2020).

 

       There are three host plants that serve as hosts: a) olive; b) Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia [oleaster]), and c) mock privet (Phillyrea latifolia).  Three generations usually occur per year.  The first generation becomes active in the spring as temperatures warm up.  The second generations when temperatures exceed 81 deg. Fahrenheit, and active again when temperatures drop giving rise to the third generation.  Nymphs and adults feed by rupturing cells and ingesting sap.  Plant parts attacked include the buds, tender shoots, floral axes, inflorescences, and young fruits.  Nymphs secrete a sticky wax substance that accumulates on the foliage and causes premature flower drop.  The wax actually protects the psyllid from some insecticides so it is best to control the first generation when buds and flowers are not present.  Nymphs and adults produce honeydew, which can attract sooty mold.  When colonies are on inflorescences, the level of sap loss depends on psyllid numbers and this would affect the amount of fruit that is set.

 

 

REFERENCES:                                                                                                 FURTHER RELATED REFERENCES

 

Asadi, R.; A. A. Talebi, D. Burckhardt,, J. Khalgani, Y. Fathipour, & Mohar Ramipour.  2009.  On the identity of the olive psyllids in Iran (Hemiptera, Psylloidea). Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 82:  197–200.

 

Costa, O. G.  1839.  Monografia degl’ insetti ospitanti sull’ ulivo e nelle olive. In O. G. Costa (Ed.), Corrispondenza zoologica destinata a diffondere nel regno delle Due Sicilie tutto cio che si va discuoprendo entro e fuori Europa (e vice versa) risguardante la zoologia in generale.  pp. 91–136 in Azzolino e Compagno.

 

El-Khawas, M. A.; A. H. El-Heneidy, H. Aziza, E. Omar &  H. El-Sherif.  2000.  A recent record of parasitoids on common olive pests in Egypt. Scientific Note.  Egypt. J. Biol. Pest Cont. 10 (2):  137-138.

 

Hougardy, E.; X. Wang, B. N.  Hogg, M. W.  Johnson,  K. M. Daane  &  C. H. Pickett.  2020.  Current distribution of the olive psyllid, Euphyllura olivina, in California and initial evaluation of the Mediterranean parasitoid Psyllaephagus euphyllurae as a biological control candidate. Insect, 11:  146.

 

Johnson, M. W., K. M. Daane  &  K. Lynn-Patterson.  2010.  Appraising the threat of olive psyllid to California table olives.  In:  M. W. Johnson (Ed.), Final and interim research reports pp. 1–11, California Olive Committee.

 

Martoni, F., S. Bulman,  A. Pitman,  G. Taylor  &  K. Armstrong.  2018.  DNA barcoding highlights cryptic diversity in the New Zealand Psylloidea (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha).  Diversity, 10:  50.

 

Ouvrard, D.  2020.  Psyllist – The World Psylloidea Database. http://www.hemiptera-databases.com/psyllist.

 

 

FURTHER RELATED REFERENCES:

 

Chiappini, E., S. V. Triapitzin & A. Donev.  1996.  Key to the Holarctic species of Anagrus Haliday (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) with a review of the Nearctic and Palaearctic (other than European) species and descriptions of new taxa.  Journal of Natural History 30:  551-595.

 

Triapitzin, S. V.  1995a.  The identities of Anagrus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) egg parasitoid of the grape and blackberry leafhoppers (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) in California.   Pan-Pacific Entomol. 71 (4):  250-251.

 

Triapitzin, S. V.  1995b.  A review of the Australian species of Anagrus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae).  Russian Entomological Journal 4 (1-4):  105-108.

 

Triapitzin, S. V.  1997.  The genus Anagrus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) in America south of the United States: a review.  Ceiba (Zamorano, Honduras) 38 (1):  1-12.

 

Triapitzin, S. V.  1998.  Anagrus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) egg parasitoids of Erythroneura spp. and other leafhoppers (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) in North American vineyards and orchards: a taxonomic review.  Transactions of the American Entomological Society. 124 (2):  77-112.

 

Triapitzin, S. V., R. F. Mizell, J. L. Bossart & C. E. Carlton.  1998.  Egg parasitoids of Homalodisca coagulata (Homoptera: Cicadellidae).  Florida Entomologist 81 (2):  241-243.

 

Triapitzin, S. V. & D. Strong.  1995.  A new Anagrus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), an egg parasitoid of Prokelisia spp. (Homoptera: Delphacidae).  Pan-Pacific Entomol. 71 (4):  199-203.

 

Walker, G. P., N. Zareh, I. M. Bayoun & S. V. Triapitzin.  1997.  Introduction of western Asian egg parasitoids into California for biological control of beet leafhopper, Circulifer tenellus.  Pan-Pacific Entomologist 73 (4):  236-242.