Psyllids and Their Management

Psyllids are economically important as pests of several horticultural crops and also as biocontrol agents of weeds. Diaphorina citri, Apsylla cistellata and Heteropsylla cubana are the predominant psyllid pests in India. Asian citrus psylla, D. citri is one of the major threats to citrus cultivation not only as a pest but also as a vector of citrus greening, while A. cistellata is a gall inducer affecting panicle emergence in mango. Heteropsylla cubana infests Leucana leucocephala, an important fodder and agroforestry crop. Systemic insecticides like imidacloprid against D.citri and dimethoate against A. cistellata were reported effective. Bioagents of D.citri are Mallada boninensis, Cheilomenes sexmaculata and eulophid parasitoid, Tamarixia radiata while Curinus coerulus is an efficient predator of H.cubana. A brief account on these pests and management strategies are presented.