Internal extracellular bacteria of Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), the Asian citrus psyllid.

The Asian Citrus Psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), is an invasive insect pest that transmits Candidatus Liberibacter spp. This insect/pathogen system was first identified in North America in the early 2000's and has become the top threat to the citrus industry. Limited options for management of this problem exist; therefore, innovative pest management strategies are being developed. In this study, we describe the first step toward a paratransgenic approach (also referred to symbiotic control) for control of the insect vector or the pathogen. Culturable bacteria from the gut of Asian Citrus Psyllids were identified using standard culture techniques followed by sequencing of the cultured microorganisms. Further, 454 pyrosequencing of the gut was performed to audit bacterial presence in order to begin to identify any relationship between psyllid symbionts and C. Liberibacter spp.