Farm Forestry New Zealand
PESTS AND DISEASES OF FORESTRY IN NEW ZEALAND
Ash leaf psyllid in Wellington
From SURVEILLANCE 39 (1) 2012.
A Wellington arborist reported ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) with wilting, premature leaf drop and decline in the Lower Hutt area. The arborist was concerned it was ash whitefly, which was detected in Auckland in 1995. The specimens submitted were identified as psyllids, Psyllopsis fraxinicola (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), commonly known as jumping plant lice. They are generally small (2–3 mm) and hostspecific. Psyllid nymph feeding can cause considerable damage to the host plant. This is the first record of this psyllid in the North Island. Hutt City Council may investigate control options. This European species was first identified from ash (Fraxinus spp.) in Christchurch by A. Healy in 1963. It is widespread in Britain and recently introduced to North and South America and Australia.
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