Symptoms of damage
- Both nymphs and adults suck sap from the plants and injection of toxic saliva
- Nymphs - are more destructive, crowd on the terminal shoots, buds and tender leaves
- Excrete honeydew- growth of sooty moulds
- Affected plant parts dry and die away
- It is transmits the "Greening" virus
Identification of pest
- Nymphs: Are flattened, oval in shape with orange colour
- Adult: Minute insect, shiny black with grey dusting on the body, wings are extending beyond the tip of the abdomen
Management
- Collect and destroy the damaged plant parts
- Spraying with systemic insecticides at flush growth periods
- Spray malathion 0.05% or carbaryl 0.1%
- Encourage the activities natural enemies such as Syrphids and Chrysopids
|
|
|
Psyllid infested plants |
Sooty mould on leaves |
|