Tomato potato psyllid found for the first time in Australia

The Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) is working with the WA horticulture industry to respond to the detection of tomato potato psyllid, an exotic plant pest.
 

Tomato potato psyllid attacks a range of plants including potato, tomato, eggplant, capsicum, chilli and tamarillo, along with sweet potato.
 

The pest has been detected in several Perth backyard vegetable crops and a commercial property north of Perth. 

 

This is the first time the psyllid has been detected in Australia. This insect pest is a significant production pest in other countries where it is present, including the USA, Central America and New Zealand.

 

Tomato potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli) is an exotic plant pest which feeds on tomato, potato, capsicum, chilli and solanaceous weeds like nightshade, as well as sweet potato, leading to loss of plant vigour and yield.
 

The psyllid is a tiny sap-sucking insect. Tomato potato psyllids go through three stages of development – adult, egg and nymph. Adults and nymphs of tomato potato psyllid cause injury to plants by feeding with sucking mouth parts.

 

The tomato potato psyllid can carry the bacterium “Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum”, causing the ‘zebra chip’ disease in potato.

 

DAFWA is undertaking surveillance of the pest, and requests commercial vegetable producers and backyard growers to check for signs of the psyllid and report any unusual detections through the MyPestGuide Reporter app.
 

The department has quarantined the impacted properties to restrict the movement of vegetable and plant material off these properties.