Data on the Hawthorn Psyllid Cacopsylla melanoneura (Förster) Populations in Southeast Romania

In 2009, the hawthorn psyllid, Cacopsylla melanoneura (Forster) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) was investigated in Băneasa area within the framework of a pests monitoring program initiated at the Research Development Institute for Plant Protection Bucharest. This psyllid is an important pest for apple orchards in Europe, as it is a vector of the apple proliferation phytoplasma. The overwintered adults colonized the hawthorn and apple as well as the sweet cherry plants in the neighboring of the apple orchards starting with the beginning of March. Egg laying period began in late March (on hawthorn) and early April (on apple). The larvae completed their development on hawthorn and on apple between middle April and June. No eggs or larvae were found on sweet cherry. The adults of the new generation were observed since the beginning of May until June, after that they left the hawthorn and apple plants. Our data indicated that the hawthorn, compared with apple, is mostly preferred as host plant for C. melanoneura, thus the most abundant populations of this insect have been observed on this.