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Lerps on red gum foliage
Photo by Jack Kelly Clark |
Parasitoid wasp
female hunts for psyllid nymphs under lerps
Photo by Jack Kelly Clark |
Last modified 13 Sept. 2004
Dr. Kent Daane, University of California at Berkeley, College of Natural Resources,
© The Regents of the University of California, (2004)
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Lerps on red gum foliage
Photo by Jack Kelly Clark |
Parasitoid wasp
female hunts for psyllid nymphs under lerps
Photo by Jack Kelly Clark |
The red gum lerp psyllid, a new pest on California's red gum eucalyptus trees, was discovered in 1998 in Los Angeles County, and has currently spread throughout much of the state. The psyllids, small insects that suck sap from leaves, are, like the eucalyptus, native to Australia. They are causing leaf damage and drop which may stress trees and make them susceptible to fatal attack by other insects. Psyllids also produce a sticky substance called honeydew, which drops to the ground on cars and sidewalks.
In cooperation with many state and local agencies and other UC units, we are monitoring the psyllid's populations, studying its biology, and implementing a biological control program with introduced parasitoid natural enemies. These parasitoids are being raised and released by California Department of Food and Agriculture's insectary and our insectary; they are now well established in coastal California and have been detected in inland areas (see map link below).
Summary Handout Page (Acrobat format)
Advice | Background | Life Stages | Biological Control Program | Map of Sample and Release Sites | Natural Enemies | Previous Work | References
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