The Asian psyllid Diaphorina citri, a highly efficient vector of HLB, has just appeared in European territory, having been located in citrus fruits in Cyprus and its presence confirmed by identification carried out by the national reference laboratory.
Previously, in January 2022, its presence was also confirmed in Israel, demonstrating that the pest can adapt perfectly to the Mediterranean climate and that, therefore, the risk of it spreading to neighboring European territory was very high and probable, a fact that has just been confirmed with its presence in Cyprus.
And as problems do not come alone, the presence of Diaphorina citri, to that of Trioza erytreae, the African vector of HLB, which was already present in the Iberian Peninsula since 2014, although located in the Cantabrian coast and Atlantic regions of Portugal.
Both psyllids are dangerous, but it has been proven that Diaphorina is much more aggressive than Trioza as for its attacks on the crop, and this implies that the transmission capacity of the bacteria is also greater.
As you can imagine, its presence in territories so close to our country poses a major threat to the entire Mediterranean citrus industry, and especially to our region.
The expectations for the case that it reaches our country, would be the introduction of biological control of Diaphorina, through releases of its specific parasitoid Tamarixia radiata, which IVIA has already worked on in order to enable its rapid introduction.
In the case of Trioza erytreae, there is also the possibility of carrying out biological control by releasing the parasitoid Tamarixia dryi, of which there is already advanced experience due to its use in the Canary Islands, where T. erytreae It has been present for a few years now.
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