Research Note

THE LACEWING BUG, PSEUDACYSTA PERSEAE (HEIDEMANN) (.), IN PUERTO RICO' The avocado lacewing bug, Pseudacysta The eggs (fig. 2) are deposited on the perseae, was described by Heidemann underside' of leaves, upright in irregular (1908)-* from Florida in the genus Acysla, rows; of an irregular, distorted barrel- Blatchley (1926):l transferred the species to shaped form, a dull yellow, with a white rim the genus Pseudacysta. Pseudacysta per­ to the egg lid. The female covers each egg seae occurs in Florida, Louisiana and Texas. with a thick dark sticky secretion. It is also found in Mexico, where it has been The body of the last instar nymphs ob­ collected from Persea carolinensis, P. long, oval, dark yellowish; toward base of americam as P. graiissima and Camphora abdomen the color lighter with scattered officinalis (Drake and Richoff, 1965)." small reddish spots. Prominent features of Heidemann (1908)* described the adult this stage: head with lateral processes yel­ (fig. 1) as a shiny black and yellowish sharp­ lowish white at end. Head brown; thorax ly contrasting species. Eyes dark brown, with dark patches, lateral margins yel­ strongly facetted. Antenna slender, fourth lowish white, nearly transparent; wing pads joint dusky towards tip; rostrum yellowish. entirely translucent except for a blackish Thorax black and shiny, strongly streak at base. Dorsal part of abdomen punctured, moderately convex, pronotum more or less speckled reddish and brown. without a hood and with only one median The avocado lace wing bug, Pseudacysta carina; membranous lateral margins of perseae, was first collected in Puerto Rico thorax nearly obliterated, visible only as by Harold Browning 28 March 1990 in Juana two very small earlike expansions near Díaz, at the Fortuna Agricultura) Experi­ shoulders, translucent yellowish, bearing a ment Station Farm. It was attacking the few minute round cells. Hemelytra oblong- leaves of avocado, Persea americana Mill. oval much longer than abdomen, translu­ Most of the avocado trees in the variety or­ cent, yellowish white, with a transverse chard are infested by this . The dam­ black band near the middle becoming age to the leaves (fig. 3) is conspicuous; broadest in the discoidal areas; highly ch¡orotic spots and dry areas result from the iridescent, attaining tip of abdomen. Body feeding of the nymphs and adults of P. per­ black, shining, sparingly pubescent; metas- seae. Severe damage is characterized by ternum black, highly shiny, transverse flat. brownish, tan or dead irregular areas along Last abdominal segment in female broadly the blade of the leaf mainly near the centra! rounded at apex, oblong in male. Legs yel­ vein. Fecal drops are deposited on the lowish white, claws blackish; length 2.0 mm. leaves, and are sometimes confused with

'Manuscript submitted to Editorial Board 21 August 1990. ^Heidemann, Otto, 1908. Two species of North American Tingitidae (Hemipt- era:Heteroptera). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 10(1-2): 103-08. :,B)acthley, W. S., 1926. Heteroptera or true bugs of eastern North America with special reference to the fauna of Indiana and Florida. Nature Publ. Co., pp. 1116. 'Drake, Carl J. and Florence A. Ruhoff, 1965. Lacewings of the World, a catalog, (Hemiptera:Tingidae). Smithsonian Institution, Mus. Nat. Hist. Bull. 243: 1-634. 185 186 MEDINA-GAUD ET AL./AVOCADO

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Fig. 1.—Peudacysta perseae (Heidemann) the avocado lacewing; adults and nymphs. /. Agrie. Univ. P.R. VOL. 75, NO. 2, APRIL, 1991 187

Fig. 2,—Peuéucysta perseae (Heidemann) eggs.

the dark covered eggs of this species. Experiment Substation, to other areas in Voucher specimens, P, R. Ace. No. 9-90, Puerto Rico. were collected by the authors in the same The authors wish to express their thanks place the same day that H. Browning col­ to Drs. Harold Browning and Fred D. Ben­ lected the first specimens of this lacebug in nett from the University of Florida at Puerto Rico. Additional specimens of this Gainesville for the identification of the species were collected in Coamo at Paco species. Sella farm, from P, americana leaves; on 21 Silverio Medina-Gaud August 1990; S. Medina-Gaud, F. Gallardo Entomologist and E. Vargas {P. R. Ace. No. 216-90). Department of Crop Protection Specimens are deposited in the Museum of Alejandro E, Segarra-Carmona Entomology at the Agricultural Experi­ Associate Entomologist ment Station at Río Piedras. Precautions Department of Crop Protection must be taken to avoid spreading this Rosa A. Franqui species, especially on grafting materia! or Research Assistant grafted trees from Fortuna Agricultural Department of Crop Protection 188 MEDINA-GAUD ET AL./AVOCADO

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Pig. 3,—Peudacysta perseae (Heidemann) damage to avocado leaves.