United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection and Quarantine

Asian Citrus Psyllid Biological Control Release Program

Help USDA Protect Citrus About Tamarixia For More Information The U.S. Department of Agriculture Tamarixia is a small, parasitic insect For more information on releases in (USDA) needs your help protecting about the size of a pinhead. Adult your State, please contact USDA at: American citrus from the Asian females target and lay their eggs citrus psyllid (ACP). ACP is a small on ACP nymphs, eventually killing invasive insect that feeds on citrus them. Tamarixia adults also feed on plants and can cause twisting of ACP nymphs. Tamarixia only target new leaves and damage to new ACP nymphs and do not threaten shoots. More importantly, ACP can the environment or any other insect, carry the bacterium that causes plant, or animal. Huanglongbing (HLB) disease, also known as citrus greening. Citrus Biological Control in Your To learn more about citrus greening, greening is one of the most serious Neighborhood ACP, and other citrus issues, please citrus diseases and causes trees to USDA and our State partners visit USDA’s Citrus Health Response produce smaller, bitter, and fewer currently release Tamarixia in Program website at www.aphis.usda. fruit. Once a tree is infected, there is Arizona, California, Florida, gov/plant-health/chrp. no cure, and it eventually dies from Louisiana, and Texas to protect the disease. While citrus greening America’s citrus crops. The releases poses no threat to people or animals, are done under a USDA permit. it has destroyed millions of acres of citrus crops throughout the United USDA officials and our State States and abroad. Controlling the partners are looking for Tamarixia spread of ACP is key to stopping the release sites and may ask for your spread of this disease. participation if your property meets certain criteria. We are looking for USDA, in cooperation with our State properties with citrus trees that: partners, is releasing an insect called Tamarixia radiata to help reduce ACP 1. Are watered and maintained populations and thus reduce the regularly, and likelihood of citrus greening infection. 2. Have not been treated with an Tamarixia is one of ACP’s natural insecticide in the last 3 months. predators. The process of controlling If your property meets the above an insect pest by introducing its criteria and you wish to volunteer, natural enemy or predator is known USDA would release Tamarixia as “biological control” and requires on your property and evaluate the the support of producers, the insect’s effectiveness at reducing agricultural industry, State and local ACP. Volunteer homeowners should agencies, and the public. You can not treat their citrus trees with any show your support by participating insecticides. in USDA’s voluntary ACP biological control release program. Photos top to bottom: Asian citrus psyllid (ACP); ACP nymphs and characteristic waxy droppings; Tamarixia radiata PPQ-20-001b • Issued November 2019 USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.