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Photo#564230
Can we identify this Psillidae? - Cacopsylla mali

Can we identify this Psillidae? - Cacopsylla mali
Sherbrooke, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
June 11, 2010
Hello all,

Here is a picture of a Psillidae photographed at Sherbrooke, Quebec (near Vermont) last June 11, 2010 on a Malus tree.

Do you think that we can identify the genus or maybe the species?

Thank you,

Michel

Moved
Moved from Psylloidea.

Probably Cacopsylla mali
Long genal cones, wing venation, long antennae with black tips, yellow ocelli, head shape, and Malus host are all consistent with this species. The yellow-green color implies a young adult, which is consistent with the the summer date (in the autumn, adults become reddish). The shape of the abdomen implies that this one is a female. The species has been recorded from Quebec; some online photos and fact sheets for the species can be found here, here, here, & here.

There is one similar species: C. peregrina, a European species associated with Hawthorne first recorded in the US in 1999. But, Li reports Malus in addition to Hawthorn as a host in China, which I can't expand upon since I don't have access to Li's immense two volume tome on Chinese Psylloidea. C. peregrina and C. mali have an interesting history, and the former was once considered a race of the latter, with misidentifications between the two historically common. The male genitalia is a reliable distinguishing character - but that can't be used here, since yours is a female. However, all European and North American references for this species only discuss Hawthorne and make no mention of Malus, leading me to believe that its association in China is either a regionally-specific outlier, or an association based on a misidentification. Additionally, C. peregrina has not been recorded in Quebec.

All considered, I think this is most likely Cacopsylla mali, and I figure the chance of it being C. peregrina is small enough that I think it makes sense to create a new guide page for this one.

Moved for expert attention
Moved from ID Request.