Tomato Potato Psyllid Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae) in Australia: Incursion, Potential Impact and Opportunities for Biological Control

Simple Summary The tomato potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli, is an important insect pest of potato, tomato, and other solanaceous crops. B. cockerelli was first detected on mainland Australia in Perth, Western Australia, in early 2017, which poses a major threat to Australian vegetable industries. It damages directly by feeding and indirectly as a vector of Candidatus Liberibacter solanaceaerum (CLso) that causes zebra chip disease in potatoes. Thus far, B. cockerelli has not been reported in other states of Australia. As B. cockerelli has been reported resistant to insecticides in USA and Mexico, biological control with native natural enemies may provide a viable alternative strategy to manage the insect. In this review, we begin with an overview of information on B. cockerelli, its incursion into Australia, and its impact on crops and current management. Opportunities to develop biological control strategies to alleviate the dependence on synthetic insecticides are also considered in this review. Moreover, the potential of existing natural enemies to contribute toward regulating populations of B. cockerelli in the field and the challenges ahead to strengthen the key role they can play through conservation biological control are also discussed. Incursion and establishment of an exotic pest may threaten natural habitats and disrupt ecosystems. On the other hand, resident natural enemies may play an important role in invasive pest control. Bactericera cockerelli, commonly known as the tomato-potato psyllid, is an exotic pest, first detected on mainland Australia in Perth, Western Australia, in early 2017. B. cockerelli causes direct damage to crops by feeding and indirectly by acting as the vector of the pathogen that causes zebra chip disease in potatoes, although the latter is not present in mainland Australia. At present, Australian growers rely on the frequent use of insecticides to control B. cockerelli, which may lead to a series of negative economic and environmental consequences. The incursion of B. cockerelli also provides a unique opportunity to develop a conservation biological control strategy through strategically targeting existing natural enemy communities. In this review, we consider opportunities to develop biological control strategies for B. cockerelli to alleviate the dependence on synthetic insecticides. We highlight the potential of existing natural enemies to contribute toward regulating populations of B. cockerelli in the field and discuss the challenges ahead to strengthen the key role they can play through conservation biological control.

Automated summary

The tomato potato psyllid is a major insect pest of potato, tomato, and other solanaceous crops. First detected in Australia in 2017, it poses a significant threat to the vegetable industry. The insect damages crops directly through feeding and indirectly as a vector of a pathogen causing zebra chip disease in potatoes. Biological control with native natural enemies may be a viable alternative strategy to manage this insect.