Pear Psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola (Foerster) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae)

At least seven species of pear-feeding psyllids in the genus Cacopsylla are recognized from Europe and North America, with unknown numbers of additional species occurring in Asia. Several of these species are pests of commercial pear (Pyrus), most notably Cacopsylla pyricola (Foerster) in North America and Europe, and C. pyri (L.) in Europe. The North American psyllid, C. pyricola, is not native to North America, but was introduced into the eastern United States in the early 1800s on infested pear seedlings imported from Europe. The pest rapidly dispersed from the eastern U.S., ultimately reaching the pear-growing regions of western North America in the early 1900s. The species apparently now occurs in all pear-growing regions of North America. With codling moth, Cydia pomonella(L.), pear psylla is the major insect pest attacking commercial pears in North America. It is estimated that 50–80% of the costs associated with controlling arthropod pests in pear orchards are directed at...