Plant Parasites of Europe

leafminers, galls and fungi

Psylloidea

Bactericera larva

Bactericera larva © Sébastien Carbonnelle

Bactericera larva

underside

gall

The number of Psylloidea living, mostly monophagously, on Salix is considerable. Probably the effect of the infestation will not differ much from one species to the other: small hypophyllous pits, each one housing a flattened larva, and, under more heavy infestation, curling, especially of the younger leaves.

In Triozidae larvae the wing rudiment anteriorly has a lobe that extends as far as the front of the head; in Psyllidae this lobe is missing.

The adults of many species, on warm summer days, are driften passively on air currents. This brings them, sometimes tens of kilometers away, in mountainous regions where they enter hibernation in conifers.

eggs

Generally the eggs are honey coloured and lie uncovered. Almost invariably the hae a filament that is inserted in the tissue of the host plant. This may function to anchor the egg, but also also to draw water from the host tissue. This explains the fact that eggs perish when the host suffers drought stress.

Cacopsylla spec.: eggs on Pyrus calleryana

Cacopsylla spec.: eggs on Pyrus calleryana, Hungary, Budapest © László Érsek

references

Burckhardt, Ouvrard & Percy (2021a), Čermák & Lauterer (2008a), Taylor (1992a).

Last modified 26.xii.2022