Psyllids, also referred to as jumping plant lice, are tiny insects that feed on tomato, potato and a variety of other plants including fruit trees.
The adult and nymphs both feed in the same manner by piercing the leaf and extracting its cell sap causing yellowing, curling and eventually death.
Honeydew that is secreted by the psyllids causes the growth of molds that destroys the leaves and its plant. Some species are even capable of transmitting viral diseases from plant to plant.
Adults are a mere 1/10 of an inch long, have reddish-brown bodies with clear wings and sturdy legs that allow them to jump at great lengths.
Psyllids are extremely active and will jump or fly away if there is danger.
Nymphs of the psyllids have a flat almost scale-like body and are not as active as their adult parents. They are often found in numbers on the undersides of leaves.
Adults survive the winter by living in crevices on tree trunks. They appear in the early spring to mate so that females can deposit their eggs in the crevices of trees and on the leaves of other suitable plants.
Depending on the environment, eggs can hatch anywhere from 4 to 15 days. New nymphs are yellow, but will turn green once they have matured, reaching their final adult stage after about 3 weeks.
The best natural defense against psyllids are beneficial bugs. Predatory Insects like the lady beetle and green lacewing can be introduced to gardens to reduce psyllids, their eggs and nymphs. If infestations are high, you may want to re-introduce the beneficial predators in your garden at least twice in the growing seasons.
Tilling your garden and removing trash and debris after harvesting may help reduce the number of psyllids during the Spring, but isn't as successful as their predatory enemies.
Tomato or potato plants are very difficult to control once they are infected, so it is important to apply pesticides to prevent infection.