Asian Citrus Psyllid Distribution and Management
University of California
Asian Citrus Psyllid Distribution and Management

How do I look for it?

How do I find psyllids? Check your citrus trees monthly. Whenever you see tiny new leaves forming (leaf flush), look closely for signs of the psyllid. Remember the adults fly and so they may be hard to observe and the eggs are so tiny they are hard to see without a hand lens. 

Young nymphs can only survive on the soft, tender leaves and twigs. Its best to look for the nymphs because they are concentrated on the new leaves, they don't move very much and they produce waxy white tubules that can be easier to see than the insects themselves.

A lot of ant activity up and down the trunks of trees and in the foliage is often an indication the tree is infested, though not necessarily just with ACP. Argentine ants will tend other sap-sucking insect pests too.

 

New young leaf flush
New young leaf flush

Nymph stage of psyllids with waxy tubules
Nymph stage of psyllids with waxy tubules

Video

In this video that explains how to search for Asian citrus psyllid, you can see that you should focus your search on soft, young leaves.

Webmaster Email: robjohnson@ucanr.edu