Key unknowns about Asian citrus psyllid biology in Florida: Overwintering sites and alternative hosts

Key unknowns about Asian citrus psyllid biology in Florida: Overwintering sites and alternative hosts

Report Date: 07/15/2012
Project: 581
Category: ACP Vector
Author: Lukasz Stelinski
Sponsor: Citrus Research and Development Foundation

Little is known about alternate hosts of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) during overwintering months in Florida. It is often stated that ACP overwinter as adults within the canopy of citrus trees, but this hypothesis has never been verified through scientific study. To better understand how ACP survives during winter in Florida, we plan to establish an extensive sampling program during the fall and winter. We already have identified the citrus arboretum in Winter Haven, FL (http://www.freshfromflorida.com/pi/budwood/arb.html) as a research sampling location and begun a sampling protocol for this location. In this arboretum, almost 200 citrus species and related species are grown, and during our first visit we observed a significant number of psyllids on citrus plants. Moreover we have started to identify other commercial citrus growing locations for sampling. We plan to sample organic groves, abandoned groves, and trees surrounding conventional groves. Particular attention will be given to conifer trees, as we found several studies showing that in Europe, psyllids usually overwinter in conifers. We are currently planing laboratory experiments in a climatic chamber. For these experiments, we will examine the effects of temperature and photoperiod that will be similar to those observed during winter in Florida. We will perform choice and survival tests between different plants selected based on their potential for overwintering. These laboratory experiments will be compared to our results from the field and help us to identify potential alternative hosts during winter for ACP.


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