Three Bugs That Eat Asian Citrus Psyllid Eggs

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers have found three commercially available insect species that devour the eggs of the HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllid.

These natural predators could become an important new line of defense against the devastating citrus disease. This is particularly true for organic growers who have limited options to control the psyllid, said Xavier Martini, UF/IFAS associate professor of entomology. Those who grow citrus at home also might deploy the predatory bugs to battle psyllids.

There’s still a journey ahead. Researchers need to see how these bugs perform outside the lab in real-world conditions.

In the past, scientists have tested the ability of predatory bugs to eat nymph and adult psyllids. This was the first experiment on psyllid eggs, Martini said.

Romain Exilien, a post-doctoral researcher at the North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC), led the new study.

Scientists studied the minute pirate bug, the green lacewing larva, a ladybeetle named mealybug destroyer and the predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii. All except Amblyseius swirskii significantly reduced the egg numbers.

Over two days, minute pirate bugs consumed 67 eggs, lacewing larvae ate 111, and mealybug destroyer ate 153. Those statistics come as encouraging news for citrus growers and homeowners.

“Homeowners are the main target here,” said Martini, who serves as Exilien’s supervisor at NFREC. “I am confident that our lab experiment will transfer pretty well to a single tree in a garden with minimal to no insecticide spray.”

Jawwad Qureshi, an associate professor of entomology at the UF/IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education Center and a co-author of the study, said growers will appreciate the findings. “These findings indicate that targeting Asian citrus psyllid eggs with lacewings or mealybug destroyers may substantially enhance sustainable psyllid management and support long-term HLB mitigation in citrus groves,” Qureshi said.

Source: UF/IFAS