Insects of Britain and Ireland: the families of Hemiptera

L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz

Psyllidae

Temporarily including Calophyidae, Homotomidae, Liviidae, Psyllidae s. str., Spondyliaspididae, Triozidae

Jumping Plant Lice, Psyllids, Suckers.

Salient features of adults. Terrestrial; the insects dwelling under specially constructed shelters, in the form of scales or lerps, or free living.

Phytophagous. Tiny; 2–3 mm long; fliers; conspicuous jumpers; relatively stout bodied. Rostrum ostensibly originating between the front legs; not separated from the prosternum by a gula. Antennae longer than the head, readily visible from above; usually 10 segmented; non-aristate. Ocelli present; 3; one behind each eye, and a third between the bases of facial cones, or in the corresponding position when facial cones are not apparent. Fore-wings well developed; in the resting insect lying more or less flat over the abdomen; more or less uniform in texture; with transparent cells to with opaque cells; without costal fracture and cuneus; with a clavus. Tarsi 2 segmented; two-clawed.

Always fully winged; fore-wings firmer and larger than hind-wings; all the longitudinal fore-wing veins arising from a single, median stem; femora thickened.

Taxonomy. Suborder Homoptera. Sternorrhyncha. Psylloidea.

British representation. About 80 species in Britain; genera 16. Aphalara, Aphalaroida, Arytaina, Craspedolepta, Ctenarytaina, Diraphia, Homotoma, Livia, Livilla, Rhinicola, Paurocephala, Psylla, Psillopsis, Spanioneura, Trichochermes, Trioza. E.g., Livia juncorum (Rush Jumping-louse); Psyllopsis fraxini (Ash Chermes, Ash Jumping-louse).

Illustrations. • Livilla ulicis Curtis: B. Ent. 625. • Livilla ulicis Curtis: B. Ent. 625, legend+text. • Livilla ulicis Curtis: B. Ent. 625, text cont.. • Livia juncorum (Rush Jumping-louse: B. Ent. 492). • Livia juncorum (detail: B. Ent. 492). • Livia juncorum (dissections: B. Ent. 492). • Livia juncorum (legend+text: B. Ent. 492). • Livia juncorum (text: B. Ent. 492, cont.). • Psyllopsis fraxini (Ash Jumping-louse: B. Ent. 565). • Psyllopsis fraxini (detail, dissections: B. Ent. 565). • Psyllopsis fraxini (legend+text: B. Ent. 565). • Psyllopsis fraxini (text: B. Ent. 565, cont.). • Aphalaria, Craspedolepta, Livia, Psylla, Psyllopsis, Rhinocola: Edwards. PSYLLIDAE. 1, Livia juncorum. 2, Rhinicola aceris. 3, Craspedolepta nebulosa. 4, Aphalaria exilis. 5, Craspedolepta nervosa. 6, Psyllopsis fraxini. 7, Psylla concinna. 8, Psylla brunneipennis; 8a, P. brunneipennis, lateral view of male genitalia; 8b, P. brunneipennis, rear view of male genitalia. 9, Psylla crataegi. 10, Psylla costalis. From Edwards (1896, Plate 26), with nomenclature updated and approximate lengths added. • Arytaina, Livilla, Psylla, Trichochermes, Trioza: Edwards. PSYLLIDAE. 1 and 2, Psylla simulans. 3, Psylla hartigi. 4, Psylla alni. 5, Psylla spartii. 6, Livilla ulicis. 7, Arytaina genistae. 8, Trichochermes walkeri. 9, Trioza galii. 10, Trioza rhamni. From Edwards (1896, Plate 27), with nomenclature updated and approximate lengths added. • Psylla (7 spp.) and Trioza (5 spp.): Edwards. PSYLLIDAE. 1, Psylla visci (dark form). 2, Psylla melanoneura. 3, Psylla rhamnicola. 4, Psylla hartigi. 5, Psylla betulae. 6, Psilla foersteri. 7, Psylla buxi. 8, Trioza remota. 9, Trioza albiventris. 10, Trioza centranthi; 10a, T. centranthi, side view of male forceps; 10b, Trioza munda, side view of male forceps. From Edwards (1896, Plate 28), with nomenclature updated and approximate lengths added.