Invasive Species

The California Department of Food and Agriculture has declared a quarantine following the detection of Huanglongbing (HLB) in multiple residential citrus trees in Corona (Riverside County). This is the first time HLB has been detected in Corona.

We hope by now most people have heard about and are aware of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), a small brown insect that carries a deadly citrus disease called huanglongbing (HLB), threatening all backyard citrus trees as well as the statewide citrus industry.

A quarantine has been declared following the detection of the citrus disease Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, in a single citrus tree in an unincorporated area of San Bernardino County, near Montclair. This is the first time the plant disease has been detected in San Bernardino County.

[This post has been modified from the article originally published in the Fall 2018 issue of the Retail Nursery and Garden Center IPM News.] Citrus trees remain a popular choice for home gardeners in California, largely due to their ease of care, beauty, and functionality for food and shade.

[This post has been modified from the article originally published in the Fall 2018 issue of the Retail Nursery and Garden Center IPM News.] The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri, is a tiny, mottled brown insect about the size of an aphid (Figure 1).

[This post has been modified from the article originally published in the Fall 2018 issue of the Retail Nursery and Garden Center IPM News.] Most citrus tree problems in home gardens can be solved by pruning the trees to allow better air flow and by controlling ants.

[Originally published in the Fall 2018 issue of the Green Bulletin. Modified slightly from original.] Invasive insects and diseases are threatening numerous tree species throughout the country.

[Originally published in the Fall 2018 issue of the Green Bulletin. Modified slightly from original.] Invasive wood-boring beetles are attacking hundreds of thousands of trees in southern California, including commercial avocados, and trees within urban landscapes and wildland environments.

The Asian citrus psyllid is an insect that can carry a deadly tree disease called Huanglongbing or citrus greening.

[From the Fall 2018 issue of UC IPM's Green Bulletin newsletter] The dark rover ant (Brachymyrmex patagonicus) is an invasive species which is increasingly being noticed in Southern California. It is a nuisance species that invades structures as both workers and winged (alate) individuals.