Feared citrus pest found in San Luis

A feared citrus pest has finally made an appearance in Arizona, with the discovery of a single Asian citrus psyllid in a sticky trap in a residential area of San Luis, Ariz.

The find was confirmed Wednesday by John Caravetta, associate director of the Arizona Department of Agriculture. He said the insect was found Tuesday in an area about a half-mile from the Mexican border and approximately 1-1/2 miles from where the pest was found last summer in San Luis Rio Colorado, Son.

The psyllid is of grave concern because it can carry the disease Huanglongbing, more commonly known as citrus greening, that is fatal to infected citrus trees.

Citrus greening disease has destroyed millions of acres of citrus plants around the world and is considered a serious threat to the citrus industry in the U.S. The disease has spread throughout the state of Florida and has been found in Louisiana, South Carolina, Georgia, Southern California and Mexico. Last summer, the disease also was detected in six trees on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

Arizona agriculture officials have been looking for the psyllid in the state for several years, Caravetta said. Efforts were stepped up in Yuma County with the find of the psyllid near the border last summer with additional funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services.

With the discovery of the pest in San Luis, Ariz., the search for the psyllid in that community will be intensified through additional placement and monitoring of sticky traps and visual inspections by crews, Caravetta said.

"We are intensifying our efforts looking for it," he said. "We want to determine where the infestation might be, then target that area for treatment and put a buffer around it."

Caravetta said the find of the insect is the first in Arizona. "We're the last citrus-producing state in the U.S. to detect it."

An entomologist identified the psyllid found in San Luis, Ariz. However, because it is a federally listed pest, the insect has been sent to a USDA laboratory for confirmation and to determine whether it carried the citrus greening disease, Caravetta said.

Fortunately, he said, there is a good buffer of several miles of desert and vegetable fields between where the pest was found and the nearest commercial citrus grove.

As for homeowners, he said they should be regularly inspecting their trees. If they find a tree that doesn't look healthy or has insect problems, they can call the Arizona Department of Agriculture office in Yuma County at 341-1680.

For more information about the Asian citrus psyllid and the citrus greening disease, visit www.saveourcitrus.org.