title: The occurrence and abundance of two alien eucalypt psyllids in apple orchards.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The arrival of alien insects is frequently associated with the introduction of alien plants. Two exotic Psylloidea native to Australia [Ctenarytaina eucalypti (Maskell, 1890) and Ctenarytaina spatulata Taylor, 1997] were recorded during a two-year survey in five apple orchards located in Asturias, on the northern coast of Spain. Both species develop on Eucalyptus, but our results suggest that the adults feed also on apple.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The captures of adult Ctenarytaina, particularly C. spatulata (2191 individuals vs 100 of C. eucalypti) were higher than those of the psyllids that develop on apple. Both species occurred in all sites, including those most distant from the eucalypt plantations. Their abundance peaks matched with two crucial periods in the apple tree cycle: sprouting and leaf drop. The hypothesis that the adult eucalypt psyllids feed on apple is supported by the presence of a phytoplasma, the causal agent of the apple proliferation disease, in one specimen of each species. This phytoplasma can be only acquired after feeding on an infected apple tree. This is the first report of continuous captures of these psyllids in apple orchards.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that adults of the two Ctenarytaina species feed in apple orchards in Asturias.
authors.affiliation: Servicio Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario (SERIDA), Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain.
authors.forename: Rocío
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosa García
authors.forename: Aitor
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Somoano
authors.forename: Aranzazu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burckhardt
authors.forename: Dalva
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Luiz de Queiroz
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miñarro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005052:Eucalyptus; D006430:Hemiptera / Q000502:physiology; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000382:microbiology; D058865:Introduced Species; D027845:Malus / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D045582:Phytoplasma / Q000502:physiology; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D013030:Spain
keywords: Ctenarytaina; Psylloidea; Spain; eucalypt plantations; phytoplasma; plant-insect relationships