Description:
The adult is 2-3mm long, mainly black; wings are broad, transparent and reticulate with dark-brown patches. Early in the spring, they start feeding on the underside of the leaves, where they oviposite. Hatched nymphs are whitish and translucent with black markings and also feed there.
Symptoms:
Leaves: Chlorotic leaves, reduced photosynthetic activity, extensive quantities of excrement on the underside of leaves, development of sooty moulds. Cast-off skins of nymphs remain attached to the leaves
Hosts: Apples, pear tree, cherry tree, plum tree, Laurus nobilis, and other (mainly rosaceous) trees and shrubs
Taxonomy:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Class | Insecta |
| Order | Hemiptera |
| Family | Tingidae |
| Genus | Stephanitis |
| Species | pyri |
References:
Alford D. V. (2014). Pests of Fruit Crops. A Colour Handbook, CRC Press, 2nd Edition