The jumping plant-lice (Hemiptera : Psylloidea) of the Maltese Islands

Abstract

Twenty-one species of jumping plant-lice accommodated in five different families are here recorded from the Maltese Islands in an annotated checklist. The Aphalaridae is represented by four species (Agonoscena targionii (Lichtenstein), Blastopsylla occidentalis Taylor, Colposcenia aliena (Löw) and Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore), of which two (B. occidentalis and G. brimblecombei) are alien species originating from Australia. The Homotomidae is represented by Homotoma ficus (Linnaeus) and Macrohomotoma gladiata Kuwayama, the latter being an alien species originating from the Far East. The Liviidae is represented by Euphyllura olivina (Costa), Diaphorina lycii Loginova and Psyllopsis fraxinicola (Foerster). The Psyllidae is represented by Acizzia uncatoides (Ferris & Klyver), Cacopsylla myrthi (Puton) and C. pyri (Linnaeus), of which Acizzia uncatoides is an alien species originating from Australia. Finally, the most species-rich family is the Triozidae, represented by nine species (Bactericera albiventris (Foerster), B. crithmi (Löw), B. trigonica Hodkinson, Heterotrioza chenopodii (Reuter), Lauritrioza alacris (Flor), Trioza centranthi (Vallot), T. galii Foerster, T. kiefferi Giard and T.

urticae (Linnaeus)). For each of the above species, collection data, distribution, host- plant data and other relevant information is provided. Lycium intricatum Boiss. is a

new host-plant record for Diaphorina lycii, and Rhamnus lycioides subsp. oleoides

(L.) Jahand. & Maire is a new host-plant record for Cacopsylla myrthi. A host- plant shift is documented for Bactericera crithmi, which alternates between Ferula

melitensis Brullo et al. in winter and Crithmum maritimum L. in spring.