Monitoring of psyllid species (Hemiptera, Psylloidea) in apple and pear orchards in East Bohemia.

During the years 2009–2010, a monitoring of the psyllid species occurring in apple and pear orchards with different types of plantation management was carried out in orchards in East Bohemia. Species known as vectors of quarantine phytoplasmas ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma mali’ and ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma pyri’, were studied in priority. The infection with phytoplasmas was determined by amplification of DNA using polymerase chain reaction with subsequent restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis in selected individuals. Specimens of Cacopsylla picta, C. pyricola, C. pyri, C. pyrisuga were found to be phytoplasma infected with in the studied territories.