Biometrics and Biology of Citrus Psylla, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama on Kinnow

Abstract

Citrus (Sapindales: Rutaceae) is the largest cultivated group of fruits in the world, which includes Kinnow, sweet orange, limes, lemons, mandarins, tangerines and grapefruit. Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama is one of the most important and serious pest of citrus. Both nymphs and adults of psylla suck the cell sap from flower buds, leaves, young shoots which results in leaf distortion, curling and complete defoliation or shedding. It is important to understand pest biology and ecology before initiating control measures. Therefore, the experiment was conducted to study the biometrics and biology of citrus psylla under laboratory conditions on Kinnow. Different life stages, duration along with their morphological parameters were recorded to differentiate between different instars. Eggs were laid in clusters on the half opened tender leaves and tender twigs. There are five nymphal stages with their body length varying from 0.36 to 1.66 mm. The incubation, nymphal and adult longevity were 4.5±0.53, 14.9±0.99 and 26.4±3.03 days, respectively. Pre-ovipositional, Ovipositional and Post-ovipositional period were found to be 3.28±0.46, 19.5±1.60 and 3.13±0.64 days, respectively. Thus, the life span of ACP ranged between 37 to 48 days, with an average of 41.2±3.26 days. The preponderance of female was noticed with female:male ratio of 1.08:1. This study provides the fundamental knowledge about the biology of citrus psylla infecting Kinnow, which will be helpful in identifying the weak links in its life cycle for formulating different IPM strategies.