Psyllidae, the jumping plant lice or psyllids, are a family of small plant-feeding insects that tend to be very host-specific, i.e. each plant-louse species only feeds on one plant species (monophagous) or feeds on a few closely related plants (oligophagous). Together with aphids, phylloxerans, scale insects and whiteflies, they form the group called Sternorrhyncha, which is considered to be the most "primitive" group within the true bugs (Hemiptera). They have traditionally been considered a single family, Psyllidae, but recent classifications divide the group into a total of seven families; the present restricted definition still includes more than 70 genera in the Psyllidae.

Psyllid fossils have been found from the Early Permian before the flowering plants evolved. The explosive diversification of the flowering plants in the Cretaceous was paralleled by a massive diversification of associated insects, and many of the morphological and metabolic characters that the flowering plants exhibit may have evolved as defenses against herbivorous insects.

Several genera of psyllids, especially among the Australian fauna, secrete coverings called "lerps" over their bodies, presumably to conceal them from predators and parasites.

thumb|Psyllid "lerp" pest of [[Eucalyptus camaldulensis]]

Subfamilies and genera

A 2021 review identified 10 subfamilies (with one from Madagascar, yet to be described), including:

;Acizziinae

  • Acizzia

;Amorphicolinae

  • Amorphicola

;Aphalaroidinae

  1. Aphalaroida
  2. Baccharopelma
  3. Burckhardtia
  4. Connectopelma (replacement name for Delina )
  5. Ehrendorferiana
  6. Freysuila (syn. Indana)
  7. Pachyparia
  8. Panisopelma
  9. †Primascena
  10. Prosopidopsylla
  11. Russelliana (syn. Arepuna)
  12. Sphinia
  13. Yangus (syn. Pallipsylla)
  14. Zonopelma

Ciriacreminae

Authority: Enderlein, 1910

  1. Auchmerina
  2. Auchmeriniella
  3. Caradocia
  4. Ciriacremum
  5. Euceropsylla
  6. Geijerolyma
  7. Heteropsylla
  8. Hollisiana
  9. Insnesia
  10. Isogonoceraia
  11. Jataiba
  12. Kleiniella (syn. Desmiostigma, Syndesmophlebia)
  13. Manapa
  14. Mitrapsylla
  15. Queiroziella
  16. Palmapenna
  17. Telmapsylla
  18. Trigonon (bug)

Diaphorininae

Authority: Vondráček, 1951

  1. Diaphorina (syn. Brachypsylla, Diaphora. Gonanoplicus, Pennavena, Eudiaphorina)
  2. Parapsylla (syn. Agmapsylla)

Katacephalinae

Authority: Burckhardt, Ouvrard & Percy, 2021

  1. Katacephala (syn. Jenseniella)
  2. Lautereropsis
  3. Notophorina
  4. Tuthillia

Macrocorsinae

Authority: Vondráček, 1963

  1. Apsyllopsis
  2. Brinckitia
  3. Colophorina (syn. †Otroacizzia)
  4. Epiacizzia
  5. Euphaleropsis (syn. Peregrinivena)
  6. Euphalerus
  7. Euryconus
  8. Macrocorsa
  9. Paraphyllura
  10. Pugionipsylla
  11. Retroacizzia
  12. Tridencopsylla
  13. Trisetipsylla

Platycoryphinae

Authority: Burckhardt, Ouvrard & Percy, 2021

  1. Allophorina
  2. Limbopsylla
  3. Padaukia (syn. Peltapaurocephala)
  4. Platycorypha (syn. Neopsyllia)

Psyllinae

Authority: Latreille, 1807; selected genera:

  • Cacopsylla (syn. Edentatipsylla, Hepatopsylla, Osmopsylla, Thamnopsylla, Psyllia)
  • Psylla Geoffroy, 1762 (syn. Baeopelma syn. nov., Chamaepsylla syn. nov., Psylla (Labyrinthopsylla) syn. nov., Asphagis )

Note: the genus Pachypsylla is now placed in the family Carsidaridae. Insect genomics provides important information on the genetic basis of the pest's biology which may be altered to suppress psyllid populations in an environmentally friendly manner. The emerging psyllid genome continues to elucidate psyllid biology, expanding what is known about gene families, genetic variation, and gene expression in insects. Thus far, two new psyllid viruses have been discovered, and are being examined as potential biological control agents to reduce psyllid populations. Psyllid cell cultures have also been established by several researchers working with virus propagation, and as a system to propagate C. liberibacter for molecular studies on infection and replication. Studies on the microbiota have also identified four new species of bacteria. Thus far, 10 microbial organisms have been identified within these psyllids, among them the primary endosymbiont, whose genome has been sequenced and posted at the NCBI database, as well as a Wolbachia species.

References

On the University of Florida / Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Featured Creatures website

  • Blastopsylla occidentalis, eucalyptus psyllid
  • Boreioglycaspis melaleucae
  • Diaphorina citri, Asian citrus psyllid
  • Glycaspis brimblecombei, red gum lerp psyllid
  • Pachypsylla venusta, hackberry petiole gall psyllid