Introduced Eucalyptus psyllids in Brazil

Abstract

In the last 10 years, four species of psyllid were detected in Brazil on eucalypts: Ctenarytaina spatulata in 1994, Blastopsylla occidentalis in 1997, Ctenarytaina eucalypti in 1998 and Glycaspis brimblecombei in 2003. The latter two are serious pests in several countries. In Brazil, G. brimblecombei caused significant damage to the eucalypt plantations in the first years of its introduction. Now this pest is under control due to the programmes of integrated pest management, where the parasitoid is the principal control agent. The four eucalypt psyllid species introduced into Brazil are presented with information on distribution, hosts, biology and control.

New Communities on Eucalypts Grown Outside Australia

“…This is demonstrated by the five species of sap suckers (including four psyllids) that have colonized 8–20 countries outside of Australia, with most of this expansion having taken place over the past 30 years (Santana and Burckhardt, 2007; Sopow et al, 2012). The sap sucker B. occidentalis was the second Australian species associated with eucalypts to invade China (Yen et al, 2013).…”

“…The majority of these new associations with sap suckers are due to generalist predators adapting to a new food source. For example, local generalist predator species (hoverflies, lacewings, predatory bugs, etc) have been recorded feeding on C. spatulata in Brazil and Portugal (Valente et al, 2004; Santana and Burckhardt, 2007), on Glycaspis brimblecombei in California (Erbilgin et al, 2004) and on T. peregrinus in Argentina (Santadino et al, 2013). There is one reported example where an Australian pest has arrived in a new country ( T. peregrinus in Portugal) in association with a new predator, the South American lacewing Hemerobius bolivari (Garcia et al, 2013).…”

“…Generalist predators and parasitoids that are native to the region may also form new associations with the Australian invaders (Santana and Burckhardt, 2007; Protasov et al, 2008). Similarly, native colonizers of eucalypts may be followed by their native natural enemies into the new community (de Oliveira et al, 2000; De Menezes et al, 2013).…”

Special feature: alien pests threatening biodiversity of forest ecosystems

“…Schoettle and Sniezko (2007) evaluate proactive management options to mitigate the development of impacts caused by white pine blister rust in threatened remote high-elevation five-needle pine ecosystems of western North America. Santana and Burckhardt (2007) review introduced Eucalyptus psyllids in Brazil. Lakatos et al (2007) compare the double spined spruce engraver beetle Ips duplicatus populations from Europe and Asia by genetic means using the analysis of the mitochondrial DNA.…”

Vector mediated transmission of Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum and epidemiological consequences

“…After egg hatching, psyllids must pass through five nymphal or immature stages before becoming adults. The body size of adult psyllids is in the range of 1 to 4 mm and its general appearance resembles miniature cicadas (Hodkinson, 1974(Hodkinson, , 1988Santana and Burckhardt, 2007). Adults are four winged and the dispersal form of the insect.…”