The psyllids (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) of Florida: newly established and rarely collected taxa and checklist
Halbert, Susan E.
Burckhardt, Daniel
Insecta Mundi
2020
2020-09-25
2020
788
1
88
MJQ4
Moore, 1964
Moore
1964
[192,700,1608,1637]
Insecta
Aphalaridae
Boreioglycaspis
Animalia
Hemiptera
26
25
Arthropoda
species
melaleucae
( Fig. 93, 94)
Materials examined. USA: Florida: Original permit voucher from Australia ( FSCA# 1997-3413), Florida specimens from Broward (site of original release), Brevard, DeSoto, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Miami-Dade Couty, Palm Beach, Pinellas, and Volusia counties ( FSCA, dry and slide mounted).
Diagnosis. Boreioglycaspis melaleucaeis one of only two psyllids in Floridathat have long genal processes that are 0.8 times the length of the vertex or longer ( Fig. 93). Boreioglycaspis melaleucaecan be separated from Glycaspis brimblecombeiby its shorter antennae, which are less than twice head width, and by the forewing venation: the branching of vein M of B. melaleucaeis distal to the point at which Cu 1aintersects the edge of the wing (Wineriter Figures 92–96. Spondyliaspidinae. 92)Adult of Blastopsylla occidentalis. 93)Adult of Boreioglycaspis melaleucae. 94)Fifth instar immature of Boreioglycaspis melaleucae. 95)Adult and lerps of Glycaspis brimblecombei. 96)Infestation of Glycaspis brimblecombei. (Photos by Susan Wright, USDA, ARS: 92; Lyle Buss, Entomology Department, University of Florida: 93, 94; Susan Halbert: 95, 96). and Halbert 2002). Adults and immatures of Boreioglycaspis melaleucaecolonies in the laboratory were tan in color (see photographs in Wineriter and Halbert 2002) but became bright orange after release in the field ( Fig. 93, 94).
Distribution. Australia, USA: FL (deliberately introduced for biological control), adventive in Puerto Ricoand California ( Ouvrard 2020).
Comments. Boreioglycaspis melaleucaeMoore, an Australian native species, was introduced deliberately to control Melaleuca quinquenervia(Cav.) S.T. Blake (Myrtaceae), a noxious weed in the FloridaEverglades. Since the release in April 2002, the psyllids, specific to M. quinquenervia, have established large populations in several South Floridacounties including Broward (FSCA# E2003-1926, 2067, 2262, 2263), Lee (FSCA# E2003-2208, 3609, E2004-433), Collier (FSCA# E2003-3034) and Miami-Dade (FSCA# E2003-6018, 6356, E2004-369). There have been suction trap collections in Miami (Miami-Dade County), beginning in October 2003(FSCA# E2003- 5336). The suction trap in Immokalee (Collier County) also began collecting specimens in October 2003(FSCA# E2003-5512, 5611). The suction traps in Winter Haven (Polk County) began collecting B. melaleucaein 2004, followed by consistent collections with numbers over 100 per sample sometimes occurring in spring and summer months. At least 2,500 specimens were collected in the Winter Haven suction traps. In Immokalee (Collier County), collections occurred in the spring (mostly March – June) and in some years there were collections in the fall and winter (October – January). Since 2013, numbers of the B. melaleucaepopulation in Floridahave diminished markedly for unknown reasons. * Ctenarytaina Ferris and Klyver, 1932