Phyllocnistis citrella
Encyclopedia
The Citrus leafminer is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It was first found in Florida in 1993, but is now found all over the world, including Argentina
, Australia
, Brazil
, China
, Corsica
, Costa Rica
, Cuba
, India
, Israel
, Malaysia, Mauritius
, South Africa
, Mexico
, the Philippines
, Spain
, and other parts of the United States
.
The wingspan
is about 5 mm.
The larva
e are considered a serious agricultural pest on Citrus
species, such as Aegle marmelos, Atalantia, Citrofortunella microcarpa, Citrus limon, Citrus paradisi, Citrus maxima, Fortunella margarita, Murraya paniculata
and Poncirus trifoliate. Larvae have also been recorded on Garcinia mangostana, Pongamia pinnata
, Alseodaphne semecarpifolia, Loranthus
and Jasminum sambac
. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a long epidermal corridor with a well-marked central frass line. The mine is mostly lower-surface, but sometimes upper-surface, and rarely on the rind of the developing fruit. Citrus leaf miner larvae are thus protected from many topic insecticide treatments. Pupation takes place in a chamber at the end of the corridor, under an overturned part of the leaf margin.
The adult citrus leafminers mating communication is mediated by sex pheromones emitted by the adult females. A new lure that is environmentally friendly, species specific and emits the naturally occurring citrus leafminer pheromone
has been developed targeting the management of this pest . The lure attracts adult male citrus leafminers to an insect pheromone trap
over a period of 4 to 8 weeks, allowing users to monitor
for its presence, and to determine the relative population density in the field, or use it to actually control populations by mass trapping the males. The pheromone can also be used in the field without a trap to control the pest. Recently the formulation SPLAT CLM , which combines nature-identical pheromone with SPLAT, has been registered with the US EPA to control the citrus leafminer using the environmentally friendly mating disruption
strategy. Unlike wide spectrum insecticide
s which may impact beneficial insects
(such as bees) or may cause insecticide resistance build-up, these pheromone based strategies not cause resistance, and avoid pollution.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Gracillariidae
Gracillariidae
Gracillariidae is an important family of insects in the order Lepidoptera and the principal family of leaf miners that includes several economic, horticultural or recently invasive pest species such as the horse-chestnut leaf miner, Cameraria ohridella....
family. It was first found in Florida in 1993, but is now found all over the world, including Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Malaysia, Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and other parts of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is about 5 mm.
The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e are considered a serious agricultural pest on Citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
species, such as Aegle marmelos, Atalantia, Citrofortunella microcarpa, Citrus limon, Citrus paradisi, Citrus maxima, Fortunella margarita, Murraya paniculata
Murraya paniculata
Murraya paniculata, commonly called orange jasmine, is a tropical, evergreen plant bearing small, white, scented flowers, which is grown as an ornamental tree or hedge. Murraya is closely related to Citrus.- Synonyms and Common & Local Names :...
and Poncirus trifoliate. Larvae have also been recorded on Garcinia mangostana, Pongamia pinnata
Pongamia pinnata
Milletia pinnata is a species of tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, native in tropical and temperate Asia including parts of India, China, Japan, Malesia, Australia and Pacific islands. It is often known by the synonym Pongamia pinnata as it was moved to the genus Millettia only recently...
, Alseodaphne semecarpifolia, Loranthus
Loranthus
Loranthus is a genus of mostly parasitic plants that grow on the branches of woody trees. It belongs to the family Loranthaceae, the showy mistletoe family...
and Jasminum sambac
Jasminum sambac
Jasminum sambac is a species of jasmine native to South and Southeast Asia. It is a small shrub or vine growing up to in height. It is widely cultivated for its attractive and sweetly fragrant flowers. The flowers are also used for perfumes and for making tea. It is known as the Arabian jasmine in...
. They mine
Leaf miner
Leaf miner is a term used to describe the larvae of many different species of insect which live in and eat the leaf tissue of plants. The vast majority of leaf-mining insects are moths , sawflies and flies , though some beetles and wasps also exhibit this behavior.Like Woodboring beetles, leaf...
the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a long epidermal corridor with a well-marked central frass line. The mine is mostly lower-surface, but sometimes upper-surface, and rarely on the rind of the developing fruit. Citrus leaf miner larvae are thus protected from many topic insecticide treatments. Pupation takes place in a chamber at the end of the corridor, under an overturned part of the leaf margin.
The adult citrus leafminers mating communication is mediated by sex pheromones emitted by the adult females. A new lure that is environmentally friendly, species specific and emits the naturally occurring citrus leafminer pheromone
Pheromone
A pheromone is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting outside the body of the secreting individual to impact the behavior of the receiving individual...
has been developed targeting the management of this pest . The lure attracts adult male citrus leafminers to an insect pheromone trap
Pheromone trap
A pheromone trap is a type of insect trap that uses pheromones to lure insects. Sex pheromones and aggregating pheromones are the most common types used. A pheromone-impregnated lure is encased in a conventional trap such as a Delta trap, water-pan trap, or funnel trap.-Sensitivity:Pheromone traps...
over a period of 4 to 8 weeks, allowing users to monitor
Monitor
-Computers:* Computer monitor, a screen that displays output from a computer.* Monitor , an approach to synchronize two or more computer tasks that use a shared resource...
for its presence, and to determine the relative population density in the field, or use it to actually control populations by mass trapping the males. The pheromone can also be used in the field without a trap to control the pest. Recently the formulation SPLAT CLM , which combines nature-identical pheromone with SPLAT, has been registered with the US EPA to control the citrus leafminer using the environmentally friendly mating disruption
Mating disruption
Mating disruption is a pest management technique designed to control certain insect infestations. Specifically, mating disruption involves the use of synthesized sex pheromones to disrupt the reproductive cycle of insects.- Mechanism:...
strategy. Unlike wide spectrum insecticide
Insecticide
An insecticide is a pesticide used against insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against the eggs and larvae of insects respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and the household. The use of insecticides is believed to be one of the major factors behind...
s which may impact beneficial insects
Beneficial insects
Beneficial insects are any of a number of species of insects that perform valued services like pollination and pest control. The concept of beneficial is subjective and only arises in light of desired outcomes from a human perspective...
(such as bees) or may cause insecticide resistance build-up, these pheromone based strategies not cause resistance, and avoid pollution.
External links
- Center for Invasive Species - Citrus Leafminer
- citrus leafmioner on the UFUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
/ IFASInstitute of Food and Agricultural SciencesThe University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is a federal-state-county partnership dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences, and enhancing and sustaining the quality of human life by making that information...
Featured Creatures Web site - http://www.iscatech.com/ecommerce/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=134 Pheromone for mating disruption of Citrus Leaf Miners
- http://www.iscatech.com/exec/DocLib/ISCA_Product_Brochure_-_CLM.pdf Pheromone Traps for the monitoring and mass trapping of Citrus Leaf Miners