Asian citrus psyllid adult and immatures on citrus (Photo by Michael Rogers, UC)
Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) was found on November 5 in Santa Maria for the first time. This is actually the first report of its presence in Santa Barbara County after it appeared nearly two years ago (January, 2011) in Ventura County. A single psyllid was found on a CDFA trap in a residential area in Santa Maria and CDFA immediately treated the area and the surroundings.
ACP is a small homopteran insect that looks like a miniature cicada. It transmits a bacterial disease known as citrus greening or huanglongbing (HLB) or yellow dragon disease. Both the pest and disease are native to Asia and pose a serious threat to the citrus industry.
Aggressive quarantine and area wide management efforts by CDFA and other agencies are limiting the spread of the pest and the disease.
A summary of ACP and HLB can be found at: //ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=4165
For additional information, visit http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/citrus_greening/
index.shtml and http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/acp/.
If you notice this pest, please bring it to my attention (skdara@ucdavis.edu or 805-781-5940) or your local Ag Commissioner's Office.
