Citrus Greening (North America)

Huanglingbing (HLB, citrus greening) is a devastating disease of citrus crops, affecting all species and varieties. This disease is caused by a bacteria (Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus) and is vectored by the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri Kuwayama). This insect was discovered in Florida in 1998 and in 2005 it was confirmed that citrus greening disease was transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid (Spann et al., 2010). Citrus greening is present in all United States citrus production areas resulting in dramatic production losses. Ripe fruit turns green with bitter juice and/or fruit becomes deformed or fruit drops prematurely. Other symptoms include mottling and yellowing of leaves, stunted growth, poor flowering, and dieback.