Olive psylla: symptoms, causes, control

Psylla olive - the world of plants

Olive psylla is a pest that secretes a honeydew substance that attracts black mold, which harms the photosynthesis process. This article from the “WORLD OF PLANTS” website reviews how to prevent and control.

Symptoms of olive psylla

  • Scientific name : Euphyllura olivina 
  • the family : homoptera 
  • The insect secretes a white waxy substance in which the infected parts are collected. It secretes honeydew that causes the growth of black fungi. 
  • This pest attacks the buds and young clusters of olive trees and causes severe damage to the fruits (30%) and flowers (60%). 
  • Description of the insect: Its length is (3 mm) and its color is yellowish-brown or greenish-brown. There are scattered yellow dots on the translucent white wings, and these dots are not present on the back wings. The nymphs’ body has wax threads that cover it completely. 

Causes of olive psylla

  • Insect biology is closely linked to the biology of the host plant and climatic conditions
  • Due to high temperatures and the olive growth cycle (the gradual slowing down of vegetative growth), the second adult summer generation appears in the period from June to September and is the most dangerous of the generations. 

Suitable conditions for the spread of olive psylla

The results showed that the ability of females to lay eggs decreases when the temperature exceeds 20 degrees Celsius. In particular, there was a complete inhibition of ovarian activity at 32°C resulting in no eggs being laid at all.

Olive psyllid development cycle

E. olivina can complete three life cycles on olive trees. 

  •  Adults of all three generations are present continuously during the year. Adults  spend the months from July to September in reproductive diapause, which has been verified by studying gamete formation in females. 
  • The second generation is the most dangerous because it can cause some yield losses. 
  • Adults emerge in June and, after an obligatory summer dormancy, remain dormant from September through January and March. 

Losses from the spread of olive psylla

  • It is a great danger to the olive tree. They feed on flowers and cause damage, resulting in the loss of the olive crop. 
  • Due to the release of waxy secretion and honeydew, it can cause aesthetic damage to ornamental hedges 

Strategy to combat  Pella olive

1. Preventive measures to prevent the occurrence of the disease 

  • Taking care of the necessary fertilization operations.
  • Provide sufficient amount of irrigation.
  • Cleaning the area around trees from weeds.
  • Pruning olive trees and removing infected branches.

2. Chemical and organic control recommendations

  •  Biological control by the Mediterranean parasite Psyllaephagus euphyllurae 
  • Encourage integrated control through the use of mating disruption, traps, and release of predatory insects or parasitoids
  • Extracting polyphenols from vegetable waste contributes to its use as a biopesticide 
  • Spraying trees (at the end of April) and before the flowers open with dimethoate.

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References 

Psylla olive - the world of plants
Psylla olive - the world of plants
Psylla olive - the world of plants
Psylla olive - the world of plants
Psylla olive - the world of plants

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