Does the scion or rootstock of Citrus sp. affect the feeding and biology of Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae)?

The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) Diaphorina citri is the main vector of the bacteria associated with Huanglongbing, and can exploit more than 50 species of the family Rutaceae as hosts. The number of possible hosts is even higher if plant varieties are included. This study evaluated the influence of different combinations of scion and rootstock citrus varieties on the development and feeding of ACP. Survival rates for the egg stage were highest on the Valencia and Sicilian varieties, both grafted on Sunki mandarin, with means of 87.99 and 87.98%, respectively; and lowest (67.63%) on Hamlin 9 Rangpur lime. The lowest levels of both nymphal and total viability (egg-adult) were obtained on Hamlin, regardless of the rootstock used. The total development time (egg-adult) ranged from 17.92 to 19.33 days for the Peˆra 9 Sunki and Hamlin 9 Swingle combinations, respectively. Cluster analysis separated the hosts into two groups, the first consisting of the combinations of the Hamlin variety, and the second group formed by the other varieties. The highest food value (assessed by the area of honeydew produced) was observed for the orange scion varieties, and among these, the highest value was observed on Valencia (0.902 cm2); the smallest honeydew area was obtained on Ponkan (0.269 cm2). The rootstocks did not affect the feeding behavior of D. citri. The results of this study could aid in the development of management techniques, mainly in providing information for the installation of new citrus groves and assistance in crop-improvement research