Abundance of Asian Citrus Psyllid on Yellow Sticky Traps in Florida, Puerto Rico, and Texas Citrus Groves

Abstract

Population dynamics of Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), were studied using yellow sticky traps in citrus groves in Florida, Texas, and Puerto Rico. Four groves were studied in Florida (three sweet orange groves and one grove of mixed Citrus spp.) and Texas (four grapefruit groves), and three groves were studied in Puerto Rico (one grove of mandarin oranges and two sweet orange groves). Abundance of Asian citrus psyllid based on trap captures of adults at two groves in Puerto Rico were similar to those in Florida, although several peaks in numbers trapped at one Florida grove far exceeded those at any other grove. Few adults were captured on traps at one of the Puerto Rico groves and at each of the four Texas groves. Less abundance of the psyllid was attributed to the grove in Puerto Rico being higher altitude and cooler. Fewer psyllids captured at two of the four Texas groves during some trapping periods were attributed to applications of insecticides but, overall, fewer adults captured on traps at the Texas groves seemed to be a consequence of differences in abundance of the psyllid. Environmental, biological control, or host plant factors may be less favorable for increases in abundance of Asian citrus psyllid in Texas than in Florida.