Red Gum Lerp Psyllid. Plaga roja del eucaliptus

Description:

Eggs are laid randomly on the leaves or in clusters of 50-75 eggs, usually at an angle or perpendicular to the plant surface. They are spindle-shaped, yellow or cream coloured, and are slightly less than 1 mm in length. Nymph size varies depending on the instar; last instar is approximately 1.5-2.0 mm in length. The body colour is yellowish orange, with dark-brown coloration on the wing pads, legs, antennae, last abdominal segments, and in blotches on the dorsal areas of the head and thorax. The wing pads and other parts of the body have bright white spots associated with setal positions. The nymphs do not produce white flocculent wax secretions as in some other eucalyptus feeding species, but instead use the lerp covering as a source of shelter and protection from the elements. Lerps are 1-4 mm in diameter depending on the stage of the nymph, and are usually whitish in appearance, but may take on a grey or black coloration with age or if sooty mould begins to grow on the lerp. Lerps still occupied by nymphs often have curled tendrils of wax protruding from the upper surface. Adults are approximately 4-5 mm in length from the head to the wing tips. They are yellow or light green in colour with contrasting dark eyes, and occasional dark-brown markings. The genal cones, a common morphological feature of most psyllids, consist of a pair of cone-shaped extensions of the frons and may extend anteriorly or downward depending on the head orientation of a given species. In G. brimblecombei, the genal cones are extremely long and well developed, being as long as or longer than the head itself.

Habitat:

Eucalyptus species. http://www.sag.cl/sites/default/files/DE...

Notes:

My video of Glycaspis brimblecombei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU2H3vtH... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL5nrygg... .................................................................................................................. Adults and nymphs feed on sap and produce large amounts of honeydew on which sooty mould develops. Nymphs construct individual white waxy covers (called lerp) of conical shape. Infested leaves are covered with these waxy secretions, honeydew and sooty mould. Damage caused includes leaf discoloration and, in heavy infestations, severe leaf drop and twig dieback. Infested trees are susceptible to attacks by secondary pests such as cerambycid beetles (Phoracantha spp.). Severe and multiple defoliations can result in tree death.