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Abstract The Asian citrus psyllid ( ACP ), D iaphorina citri K uwayama ( H emiptera: P syllidae), is an important pest of citrus because it transmits phloem‐limited bacteria C andidatus L iberibacter spp., notably C a . L . asiaticus ( LAS ) associated with huanglongbing ( HLB ; citrus greening disease), currently considered the world's most serious disease of citrus. Asian citrus psyllid transmits LAS in a persistent manner and, although the rate of LAS transmission by ACP individuals usually is low, HLB can spread rapidly in a citrus grove and the geographic range of the disease is expanding, threatening citrus industries in new areas. Intensive chemical control of ACP is the primary management strategy currently advocated for HLB , but this strategy is costly, unsustainable, and generally ineffective. The scientific community is searching aggressively for solutions to HLB on many fronts, but it could still be years before solutions are found and implemented. Plant resistance to LAS is one area of research being pursued, whereby traits that confer resistance are identified and incorporated into citrus germplasm through conventional or transgenic methods. It remains to be seen if a solution to HLB can be found that specifically targets ACP , but research on ACP has been stepped up in a number of areas, notably on ACP – LAS –plant interactions, on host plant resistance to ACP , and on molecular methods of silencing ACP genes to induce mortality or to block its ability to transmit HLB ‐causing bacteria. Advancements in these and other research areas may depend greatly on a better understanding of basic ACP biology and vector–pathogen–host plant interactions at the molecular, cellular, and community levels. Here, we present an updated review of ACP and HLB with an emphasis on the problem in Florida.
Hall et al. (Fri,) studied this question.