Yaupon Psyllid – Gyropsylla ilicis

Yaupon Psyllid (Gyropsylla ilicis)

Latin Name: Gyropsylla ilicis

Common Name: Yaupon Psyllid

Appearance:

• The adult insect looks like a little cicada (3/16 inch).
• Galls formed by aphid-like immature stages emerge on fresh, terminal growth as folded leaves.
• There are immature yaupon psyllid nymphs and a pile of waxy filaments inside.
• On yaupon, this is the only gall-producing psyllid. However, different psyllid species induce galls to grow on the leaves of other plants species.

Hosts plants: 

The single known host plant for the yaupon psyllid, the only psyllid is known to generate galls on the plant, are Ilex vomitoria.

Territory: Gyropsylla files may be found throughout much of the southeast United States, where it probably lives.

Description about Leaf chewers:

Insect chewing damage to plants can take several forms. Foliage or flowers may vanish when certain insects eat them. Occasionally, the plant will appear ragged and, upon closer inspection, will reveal bitten edges or cores. Plants can be cut at the root and topple over, or twigs can be girdled and die as a result. Mining or boring is the process of causing harm to a plant through chewing. Only the upper or lower portions are sometimes destroyed, producing a brown, burned look or skeletonization (openings between the veins).

Life History and Habits:

Adults are most active in late winter and early spring (late February to early March) when the host plants begin to blossom and generate new leaves. On opening leaf buds, females deposit clusters of eggs. In the first stage (instar), Nymphs feed on swelling leaves, causing the leaf to distort by cupping upwards. Clusters of nymphs in damaged leaves go through many phases for around ten months before emerging as adults in November. Every year, there is a new generation.