Greening bacteria causes biological and behavioral changes in the psyllid

Increase in the number of eggs, more frequent flights for dispersal and greater distances, in addition to more attractiveness to the host, are some of the changes observed in the contaminated psyllid

18.07.2024 | 15:44 (UTC -3)
fundecitrus
Photo: archive/Fundecitrus
Photo: archive/Fundecitrus

Recent studies, including one in partnership between Fundecitrus and the University of California, have revealed that the greening bacteria (Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus) causes physiological changes in the psyllid (diaphorina citri), further challenging the insect management work. An increase in the number of eggs, more frequent dispersal flights over greater distances, as well as greater attractiveness to the host, are some of the changes observed in the contaminated psyllid.

These behavioral changes also make it difficult to develop tools to attract the insect (pheromone). “It is becoming increasingly clear that the psyllid undergoes several changes, and this not only brings difficulties in management, but also makes it very difficult to develop products to capture it”, says Fundecitrus researcher Haroldo Volpe.

Published at the end of last year, an important article written by Fundecitrus researchers in partnership with researcher Walter Leal, professor at the University of California (Davis/USA), one of the world's leading names in chemical ecology, brought the results of the challenging work of industrial production of the psyllid pheromone discovered by him in 2017. The study concluded that the infected psyllid needs a 50 times higher dose of pheromone compared to the healthy one to be attracted. For the professor, this is a very complex insect. “I can say that everything is difficult in this insect, with more than forty years working with pheromones, this is the most complicated insect I have ever worked on”, reveals Leal.

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